Village Savings improve rural livelihood

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Category: Local News

Published on Friday, 10 August 2012 10:03

Written by Queen Nhlema

Village savings and loan associations in rural communities in Malawi have proven to be effective in improving the welfare of orphans and vulnerable children and families in several implementing districts.

Desk officer for Orphans and Vulnerable Children in Salima district, Wilson Milanzi said this during an ongoing training for Community and Faith Based Organizations on management of village savings and loan associations in the district.

The training has been organized by the Network of Organizations Working with Vulnerable and Orphaned Children.

NOVOC is implementing a project known as Mkutamwana with an aim of improving the welfare of vulnerable children through community based organizations.

Milanzi said the HIV and Aids pandemic has led to an increase in the number of orphans who continue to face various problems ranging from food insecurity to lack of school fees.

He disclosed that Salima district has about 27,000 orphaned and vulnerable children.

Through the Mkutamwana project, NOVOC is empowering Community and faith based organisations in 15 districts to form effective village savings and loan associations and use the profits to start small scale businesses which in turn help in supporting the livelihood, health, education and social welfare of these children.

Chipoka FBO Livelihood Coordinator Amos Buliyani told the Malawi News Agency that since they started following the concept in 2008, its members are now economically empowered and able to support more than 1200 orphans from 10 villages.