The project aims to improve the financial independence and resilience of these women. It relies on pooling savings and providing microloans,offering a concrete alternative to the constraints of traditional financial institutions.Objectives: To enable women to build solid capital to expand their businesses;To create a mutual aid fund to address family and social emergencies;And to train women in financial management and leadership. Not that the associations operate on 9-to 12 - month cycles.
In Goma,the fish trade is a vital activity.Many women do this work to support their families.Yet,these vendors work in very difficult conditions.They face obstacles that keep them in poverty. The main causes are: Lack of capital;Excessive credit costs: banks refuse to lend them money ;Usurious interest rates:they resort to local lenders who demand crippling interst;Total isolation:each vendor works alone without support from others.
This project provides a major solution to the the precarious situation of women fish sellers and processors. It offers financial autonomy,access to microloans without the contraints of traditional banking,and strengthens community solidarity.These community associations created in 9-to-12 month cycles,operate according to a concrete mechanism: Revolving savings and microcredit;Solidarity fund: An integrated mutual aid fund helps them cope with family emergencies,illnesses,or periods of crisis.
The Village savings and loan association project is bringing about profound and positive change for women fish vendors in Goma.In a context marked by socio-economic crises and conflicts in North Kivu, these local groups are becoming true engines of empowerment and resilience.The association provides access to easy credit;each week,the women contribute small amounts.This allows them to secure capital to modernize their busisnesses and survive crises.
This project has provided additional documentation in a XLSX file (projdoc.xlsx).
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