Blackburn Diocese Harvest Appeal for CRESS
August 23 News: CATT Support
We are pleased to be able to share our most recent report about the savings groups with you written by Isaac Soro who is the co-ordinator for the Saving Group project.
There are currently 71 Savings Groups with a total of 1,978 members.
Introduction
This report aims to provide you with a comprehensive update on the monthly progress of the Village Savings and Loan Association (VSLA) program in the Imvepi and Mijale areas. We are incredibly grateful for your generous funding, which has enabled us to empower these communities through the provision of savings materials and training in VSLA concepts and entrepreneurship.
Our dedicated team has been working tirelessly to implement the VSLA program and create a sustainable platform for financial inclusion and economic empowerment. Through the combination of savings materials and targeted training, we aim to equip individuals with the necessary skills and resources to uplift themselves and their communities.
In this report, we will outline the achievements and milestones reached during the reporting period. We will also highlight the challenges encountered and provide insights into our strategies for overcoming them. By keeping you informed of our progress, we hope to demonstrate the impact of your support and foster a sense of shared accomplishment.
Together, we are building a solid foundation for the VSLA program, promoting financial resilience, and paving the way for brighter futures. We extend our sincerest appreciation for your continued belief in our mission and the transformative power of economic empowerment and helping south Sudanese refugees becoming self-reliant.
- Training: We successfully conducted comprehensive training sessions for all 72 VSLA groups in Imvepi and Mijale. The participants actively engaged in the sessions, demonstrating enthusiasm and eagerness to apply their new knowledge. The trained members have since mentored others within their groups.
- Procurement and Distribution: Using the available funds provided by CRESS in April, we procured and distributed savings materials to 10 VSLA groups. These materials, including savings boxes, record books, and other scholastic items, will significantly enhance their financial management and tracking of savings and loan activities.
- Designing Project Structure: We held meetings with VSLA consultants to design the structure for implementing the VSLA program. This included defining the roles and responsibilities of CBFs, Lead CBF, and the Microfinance Officer, as well as developing a project plan for the next 6 months.
- Monitoring Tools: We reviewed monitoring tools for VSLAs, such as the SAVIX data collection tool, capacity assessment tool, and health check tool. These tools will enable us to prepare a comprehensive report on the project. Additionally, CBFs will gather success and lesson stories from the VSLAs.
- Communication and Updates: We conducted phone call meetings with CBF heads in Mijale and Imvepi to receive updates on the VSLA program's progress. The VSLA members expressed motivation and have been actively applying the concepts and entrepreneurship skills they learned during the training.
- Meetings with CRESSUK/Donors: During the reporting period, we had the privilege of engaging in virtual meetings with CRESS UK and major donors. These meetings provided us with a valuable opportunity to personally connect with the donors who have made the smiles on the faces of our VSLA beneficiaries possible. We extend our sincere gratitude to them for their unwavering support and trust in our work, as we deliver economic empowerment interventions to the refugees and host communities we serve. These meetings also allowed us to share first-hand the impact of the VSLA program and the challenges we have encountered. We want to express our deep appreciation to the donors for their commitment to continuing support for the VSLA programs and their efforts to raise funds to address the challenges we discussed.
Post distribution monitoring and Feedback
Following the distribution of savings materials, our CBFs gathered feedback from the VSLAs that received the materials. Here are some of the sentiments expressed:
"As a member of this VSLA group in Imvepi refugee settlement, we want to express our heartfelt thanks for the savings materials you provided to us. Although not all of us can read or write, we understand the importance of these materials. With the boxes and books you gave us, we can now keep our money safe and remember how much we have saved. This will help us work together better and plan for a better future." - VSLA Member in Imvepi
"We want to say a big thank you for the gifts you gave us. These items will help us with our money. We can save more and keep track of our loans. This will make our group better and help us all succeed. We appreciate your kindness and support." – Kanga Justin, VSLA Member in Sadia B Group
"Receiving the savings materials is a milestone for the VSLA groups that I am mentoring, and we are truly grateful. These tools will streamline our financial operations, ensuring transparency and accountability within our groups. With proper record keeping and efficient savings mobilization, we can now strive towards achieving our financial goals and uplifting our entire community." – Achile Moses, CBF in Mijale.
"We thank you from the bottom of our hearts for the savings materials. They mean a lot to us. Even though we cannot read or write, we understand their value. Now, we can save our money and remember how much we saved. This will help us improve our lives and support our families. Thank you for trusting us and giving us this opportunity." – Yangi Mary, VSLA Member in Pamugun Group
"We want to express our deep gratitude for the savings materials. We may not be educated, but we understand their significance. With these materials, we can keep our money safe and know how much we saved. This will help us grow and provide for our families. Your generosity has touched our hearts, and we are thankful for your support." – Yanya Mary, VSLA Member in Tiyi Morjita Group
"We are immensely thankful to the organization for equipping the VSLAs under my mentorship with the essential savings materials. With the saving boxes and record books in their hands, they now have the means to track their savings, monitor their loan activities, and plan for their collective growth. This support will undoubtedly strengthen their VSLA groups and foster a culture of financial independence. It will also make it easier for us to collect data because we shall have a point of reference for all the data about the VSLAs that we shall be tracking." – Kenyi Alex, CBF in Imvepi
Video translation:
"First, I want to thank God for the help in receiving these items that we wanted. God should bless us with money so that we can save some money and praise him.
We thank Abe Moses for mentoring this group. We thank CRESS for this support, today we shall sleep peacefully.
Let God open for us ways to find money to save and keep in this box."
By Pamugun VSLA in Mijale Zone
Next Steps and Plans
- Fundraising and Donor Engagement: We will continue seeking additional funds through donor engagement to procure and distribute savings materials to the remaining 10 VSLA groups and support other planned activities.
- Training and Capacity Building: We aim to provide training to VSLA secretaries on record keeping and CBFs on monitoring and reporting. This training will address gaps identified after the initial VSLA and entrepreneurship training.
- Monitoring and Reporting: We have developed monitoring tools to collect monthly VSLA data, assess capacity, and conduct health checks. CBFs will use these tools to monitor and report on the Microfinance projects.
- Seed Capital and Business Skills: We plan to provide seed money to VSLAs and offer business skills training to enhance their capacity for savings and business startups.
- Printed T-Shirts and Bicycle Maintenance: We aim to provide CBFs with printed T-shirts for visibility and recognition in the community, as well as allocate funds for the repair and maintenance of their bicycles.
