LINKS
Micro Enterprise Development (MED)
Goal
To improve individual and family well being in Yei town (and nearby vicinity) through the learning and benefits derived from participation in group savings and loan associations (VSLAs).
Objectives
1. Improved financial management and credit access for 600 VSLA members and their households in Yei town and the nearby environs. Included will be the establishment, training and monitoring of 24 new savings and loans association groups.
2. Members of 12 VSLAs will be empowered to invest productively by participating in business development skills training in the Selection, Planning & Management (SPM) of Income Generating Activities.
3. Develop the capacity of Communities to establish, manage, adapt and sustain the basic savings and loan association model. An important component will be the inclusion of numeracy and literacy assistance along with Biblical perspectives on Business and commerce.
Outputs
By December 2006, 875 people were involved in 27 active VSLA groups. (556 women and 319 men) One group ‘graduated’ as they had received all the training courses.
An additional 12 Community Facilitators trained making a total of 48 trained facilitators ( 25 females) 3 Training Manuals have been translated into Bari
MED topics now being included in the Sudan Health Center radio programmes. With requests for more.
11 groups already started to include numeracy and literacy classes.
Evaluation of the pilot programme by S F.
End of year meeting held for all the Community Facilitators to evaluate the programme and plan for the future.
Achieving our Mission
The rapid growth and success of the programme indicates that it is meeting a very significant need in the area.
The total number enrolled in groups (875) significanly exceeds the target of 600.
A good percentage of the group membership (and also facilitators) are females.
Improved sense of ownership towards the Literacy & Numeracy lessons. Realisation that the groups can be responsible to support the teacher, with Sudan Health Center responsible to train the teachers and provide some materials only. Radio is a cross-cutting programme.
The Independent Evaluation was successful supporting the ‘roll-out’ of the programme in 2007
Future plans
Appoint 2 new members of staff for the MED team.
Build the capacity of facilitators regarding VSLA (On-going)
Introduce literacy and numeracy classes in groups where there is still a need. ‘Roll out’ the programme into two more counties. ( Morubu and Lainya). ‘Graduate’ the groups which were started early in the programme.
Aiming to reach a total of 75 groups involving 3000 members during 2007.
Develop more radio programmes in conjunction with Sudan Health Center Radio Programme.
Proposals to be made to new partners to expand the programme further to other areas in 2008.