Comments on: VSLA’s are transforming communities in Somalia https://www.care.org.au/blog/vsla-somalia/ Supporting women. Defeating poverty. Fri, 03 May 2024 04:53:56 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=5.8.10 By: CARE Australia https://www.care.org.au/blog/vsla-somalia/#replybox Mon, 24 Apr 2017 00:10:22 +0000 https://www.care.org.au/?p=19205#comment-11742 In reply to Mary Khozomba.

Hi Mary, thanks for the question.

The safety of women is of the highest importance to us, and the risk of theft is something we give much consideration to for VSLAs. Each metallic box where savings are stored has multiple padlocks with different people in the VSLA in charge of different keys. This helps ensure that the box can only be opened with multiple group members present, and only at VSLA meetings. This is one deterrent. Community support for the VSLA can also provide some protection from theft due to the shame such a theft would bring on a family in the eyes of the community.

There are still inevitable risks though. In African countries where VSLA programs are more mature, we look for ways to link these VSLA groups with suitable formal financial services in their country. This includes trials to link groups with mobile banking services like M-PESA so that they can more safely store their money, and can access it quickly and easily. You can read about this pilot project here: http://www.careinternational.org.uk/linking-for-change/images/technical%20learning%20series%20publication%202%20-%20mobile%20banking%20tanzania.pdf.

Thank you,
– CARE Australia

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By: Mary Khozomba https://www.care.org.au/blog/vsla-somalia/#replybox Mon, 10 Apr 2017 11:16:03 +0000 https://www.care.org.au/?p=19205#comment-11575 This is very encouraging. How are the women protected from violence that can be associated to them having large sums of money in a community that is struggling to make ends meet? How do they ensure safety of their business income?

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