Dedza Council urges peopleto embrace financial literacy
Dedza District Council community development officer Oswald Manda says financial literacy is crucial for community members to achieve their economic goals.
Manda, who is also desk officer for the district’s livelihood programme, said this on Saturday during a meeting with Mgwimbi Cluster in Mtakataka, Traditional Authority Kachindamoto in the district.
He said the meeting sought to monitor the progress registered under Financial Access for Rural Markets, Smallholders and Enterprises (Farmse) initiative.
Said Manda: “We have seen that 133 people under Mgwimbi Cluster have grasped knowledge on how to access loans, run small-scale businesses and have embraced irrigation farming.
“The members have expressed satisfaction with financial literacy lessons they honed.”
He said government introduced Farmse project in 2018 in the district to support households through access to financial services as one way of empowering ultra-poor communities.
Fincoop Savings and Credit Cooperative Limited field officer Joshua Nkhoma, whose micro-financial institution is working with Farmse to impart financial literacy skills and provide soft loans, said communities who embraced the skills were doing better in their businesses.
Mgwimbi Cluster chairperson Chancy Njalale said communities now understand the importance of investing in small-scale businesses or farming.
“Members now know what to do with their money. Fincoop has provided some of our members with soft loans and solar panels,” he said.
