Village Saving and Loan Associations (VSLAs) have continued to thrive in Nakapiripirit despite the prevalence of Covid 19. In the villages of Utut and Acherer, where several children, youth and their households faced a tough choice of either work in the mines or stay redundant, the VSLA’s has provided a glimmer of hope for the future by ensuring access to income and alternative source of livelihoods. There is also a significant drop in the number of people who depend on others for a living, pointing to the benefit accumulating from the loans and use of the welfare fund.

“For us members, the days of moving from home to home, friend to friend begging for little money to meet some urgent needs are over. In our group, we have a welfare fund, in case as a member you have an urgent problem to solve, you just go to the group and you are helped. Most members of VSLA no longer beg from other members of the community except group. Welfare fund has increasingly supported households as a quick source of income to provide for their needs. The VSLA has also united us in the community and enhanced idea sharing”, shares Akello Loyce a member of Moru Akimat VSLA group in Acherer.

For low-income earners, the idea of saving is hard, there is no commercial bank where a person can save the little, they can manage. As a result, they are discouraged to save. However, in VSLA groups, members are able to save as little as possible. The more one saves little, the more they build a saving culture and the more their savings grow. The introduction and establishment of VSLA in the communities by WNCB partner Nascent RDO, has created a positive shift toward entrepreneurship projects amongst the beneficiaries in the various communities. Communities have adopted business as an alternative source of income. For instance, with the availability of savings, members of the VSLA’s have access to loans enabling them to trade in various businesses like beans (selling in cups), flour (lokipuripur – selling in cups) among others. This has gradually reduced the vulnerability of most households since they can now provide basic needs for their families.

UMOJA VSLA GROUP in Utut village, Moruita sub county in Nakapiripirit District has 25 members (14 women and 11 men), and they have saved up to 2,818,000 UGX (€685,-) and welfare fund of 398,000 (€ 100,-) in a period of 6 months. One of the group members, Moses, testified: “I didn’t have any idea of how I was going to face the future. I did not have money to start a business, but when I joined the VSLA group, I quickly mastered the discipline of saving money. I am more independent and self-sufficient; I took a loan of 100,000 and have already paid off an interest of 10% and growing.”

Moru Akimat VSLA group is another group in Acherer with 25 members (11 women and 15 men). Group member Akello Loyces says:  “The VSLA has opened my mind to venture into business and it has provided me with a source of capital through borrowing. Currently I borrowed to buy maize bags, that I sell with profit.”