Savings and Credit Co-Operatives (SACCO's) established by Self Help have been transforming the lives of thousands of women in rural East Africa.
Regarded as a vital strand in the organisation’s extensive integrated programme of activities, SACCO groups have paved the way for more than 14,000 Ethiopian women, and hundreds more in Eritrea, Uganda and the agency's the programme countries to establish micro-enterprises and income generating activities for themselves, and for their families.
The savings and credit scheme operates along principals similar to those of the Credit Union movement, with applicant loan approval based upon an ability to save funds over the preceding months.
Dozens of self-administered groups have been established by Self Help, and have created a way for women to develop their own income generating activities in such areas as petty trading, sewing and textiles, catering, animal rearing, poultry production, small manufacturing enterprise and bee-keeping.
Participating women undergone intensive training on the necessary management and administration structures for operating their own SACCOs, while a programme of training to provide members with both the literacy and numeracy skills to successfully participate in such schemes are also instigated.
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