VSLAs and cooperative societies for Ethiopian women

Village Saving and Loan Associations (VSLAs) in Ethiopia are critical to enabling women living in poverty to increase their financial skills, gain access to and control over resources, and generate economic opportunities and income which in turn contribute to poverty reduction and women empowerment. 

VSLAs are formed with a self-managed group of 20-30 individuals that meets on a regular basis to provide its members a safe place to save their money, to access loans, and to obtain social or emergency insurance coverage.  It is common that each member will contribute a specified amount of money to a savings pool and after a certain amount of capital has been accumulated, the accumulated fund becomes a readily accessible source of credit for members. 

angle-left Resources for management of VSLAs

Resources for management of VSLAs

For the proper management of VSLAs, members need to have awareness on group creation, group governance, conflict resolution, saving and loan management and record keeping.

In this regard, Civil Society Organizations/Non-Governmental Organizations (CSOs/NGOs) like Care Ethiopia, CAFOD, SCIAF and Trócaire (CST), Tearfund, Consortium of Self-Help Group Approach Promoters (CoSAP) and Oxfam offer financial literacy education and leadership training for them.

In addition to that, particular training will be given to the members of VSLAs on agronomy, animal husbandry, gender relations, nutrition, basic literacy, health, prenatal care, sanitation and so on. This is usually conducted by the permanent staff of the implementing NGOs called ‘Facilitators’.

Facilitators work closely with ‘Woreda’ and ‘Kebele’ Women Affairs and the Health Extension Workers (HEWs) who take the opportunity of women being at regular group meetings for education on reproductive health and other areas including literacy, gender sanitation, etc. Training is given by the facilitators on the principles of saving: how to find a little money to save, when, how and for what loans can be taken and how interest rates work.

Thus, VSLAs which are organized and facilitated by the CSOs/NGOs can serve Ethiopian women as an alternative source of funds. For further information you may contact those CSOs/NGOs through the following addresses:

 

CSO/NGO Name

Contact Address

 

Care Ethiopia

Haile Gebreselassie Road (opposite Queen of Sheba Hotel (200m) or Mickey Leyland Road)

P.O. Box: 4710
Tel: +251(0)116 18 32 94
Fax: +251(0)116 18 32 95
Website: http://www.care.org.et 

 

Tearfund Ethiopia

Kolfe Keranio Sub City, Woreda 09,

Addis Ababa

Website: http://www.tearfund.org

 

CAFOD / SCIAF / Trócaire (CST)

Ethiopian Catholic Bishops Conference Centre
Gulele Subcity, Swaziland Street
Enqulal Fabrika
P. O. Box 1875, Addis Ababa
Tel: +251-(0)11-278-8843/44/45

Fax: +251 11 278 8846
Email: reception@cst-together.org 

Websites: www.trocaire.org / www.cafod.org.uk / www.sciaf.org.uk

 

Consortium of Self-Help Group Approach Promoters (CoSAP)

Lideta Sub City, Woreda 10, African Union Area  (Behind National Tobacco Enterprise)

P.O. Box 26720 code 1000 Addis Ababa
Tel: +251 1 15525251, +251 1 18959233, +251 930014725

Fax: +251 1 15571290
Email: consortium.shg@gmail.com info@shgconsortiumeth.org 

Website: https://www.shgconsortiumeth.org