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  • Access to Finance
  • VSLAS (Village Saving & Loan Associations)
  • VSLAS (Village Saving & Loan Associations)

Quick information guide

According to CARE International Report 2017, 94% of Kenyan VSLAs members are women

Importance of VSLAs

  • Financing for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) owned by Kenyan women.
  • Give opportunities to women who have no access to conventional banking services that require collateral for credit accessibility
  • in addition to providing financial services to women for different needs, they provide loans that are invested in various income generating projects

Main purpose

The purpose of a VSLA is to provide simple savings and loan facilities in a community that does not have easy access to formal financial services.

 

Accessing Finances through Village Savings and Lending Associations in Kenya

In Kenya, Village Savings and Lending Associations (VSLAs) started as saving groups popularly known as Chamas.

A Village Savings and Loan Association (VSLA) is a group of people (between 20-30) who come together with a purpose of making savings and taking small loans from those savings.

After a certain period the accumulated savings and the loan profits are distributed back to members.

Different development stakeholders have realized that VSLAs are one of the best ways poor households can be provided with a secure place to save, the opportunity to borrow  on flexible terms, and affordable basic insurance.

They are now supporting VSLAs by equipping members with much needed skills to help them run efficiently their groups.

angle-left Joyful Women Organization (JOYWO)

Joyful Women Organization (JOYWO)

About the JOYWO

Founded in 2009, JOYWO is a registered Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) to empower Kenyan women economically. Over the past 10 years, it has grown tremendously with members spread across all 47 counties in Kenya.

The organization’s headquarters is in Nairobi but it has offices in the counties ran by county managers and program officers. JOYWO’S flagship project has been providing financial resources to women to engage in livelihood projects through a scheme known as Table Banking.

Kind of support provided

 

 

1.     Capacity building

Joywo aims at strengthening and developing the skills and abilities of the community it serves to enable them adapt and thrive in the fast changing world. This is done through periodical training of members. The training includes:

  • Access to government  procurement opportunities (AGPO)
  • Modern agriculture
  • Business/ Entrepreneurship skills
  • Table banking.

More Information

2.     Livelihood Projects

These are income generating activities that members can invest in to improve their standards of living. Joywo encourages its members to invest in such projects. Some of the livelihood projects include:

  • Animal husbandry;
  • Poultry farming;
  • Horticulture - White sorghum  and Passion fruit farming;
  • Modern farming - Open drip irrigation and Greenhouse farming

More Information..

3.    Table banking

Table-banking is a group based funding strategy in which members save and borrow immediately during their meeting times. On a given date of the month, members meet, place their savings and other contributions such as insurance, educational savings, fines and penalties on the table and borrow immediately either as short term or long term loans.

More Information

Enrollment criteria/requirements
  1. An individual must be a member of a registered group/chama
  2.  Above 18 years

Additional services

Linkage to financial institutions

Events organized

Joywo Annual Conference for the women.

Online training resources

N/A

 

Contact details

Joyful Women Organization (JOYWO)
P.O Box 27506-00506
Nyayo Stadium
Nairobi, Kenya
Tel: +254 710 826959
Email: info@joywo.org
www.joywo.org
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