Women from Yelemiah Mabaso Village in Tradi t ional Authority (T/A) M’mbelwa in Mzimba District have commended village savings and loans (VSLs) groups for transforming their lives.
They said this on Wednesday during a field trip organised by Foundation for Community Support Services (Focus), which is implementing a Harvesting Prosperity and Resilience Project in the area.
In her remarks, Kajipalire Women Savings Group chairperson Margaret Sato said they are embracing a saving culture and are thriving because of the group.
She said: “We started the savings group in 2021 after Focus came with the project in the area. They trained us on how we can run the group and provided start-up materials.
“Since then we have been making good earnings, for example, in 2024 we raised about K22 million and earnings ranged between K563 000 and K859 000.”
Sato said she has raised about K2.5 million within four years.
“I completed my house and bought a motorcycle which is being used to carry people to supplement my income. Now, our target is to grow bigger so that members can borrow more to expand their businesses,” she said.
On her part, another group member Memory Jere said she has been able to raise money for fees for her two children and buy farm inputs.
Focus executive director Cossam Muntha l i said apart from promoting good farming practices, manure making, poultry and livestock production, the project also focuses on economic development.
“Our goal is to empower these women economically so that they can invest the little they are earning in farming to become food secure and defeat malnutrition,” she said.
The organisation, with funding from an American organisation Rise Against Hunger, is implementing the project in T/As M’Mbelwa and Kampingo Sibande in Mzimba District.
