More Savings Group Impact

Another update about savings groups written by Steve Hochstetler Shirk, MCC Co-Representative in Mozambique:

Dona Cristina was in our office again this week for some work on reporting. Some items that came out of our discussion:

- A group in southern Mozambique just sent photos of 8 chairs, some cups, and jars that they had bought for their local church, after distributing their savings at the end of a cycle. When people have money, they start looking around and seeing the needs right among them, feeling that they have the power to do something rather than feeling poor.
- These groups motivate people to get moving, because people think, "I've got a Savings meeting coming up; I need to have something to put in." So they get busy selling or making something, doing a job, "move here, turn there, mix it up there..." (mexer aqui, mexer aí, mexer aqui). Whereas before, she said, many people just sat around or even "would be sleeping," thinking that they are poor and don't have a job and therefore can't do anything.
- A group in central Mozambique just did its distribution. They had collected 41,700 MT (approx 1400 USD). This was their second cycle, and in the first cycle they'd collected some 4000 MT. People start out with a certain suspicion that the people organizing this will in some way walk off with their money. When they discover that it really is their money, for them, they get motivated - in this case they increased their savings by 1000% from one cycle to the next.
- She noted with a laugh that there is money that "it doesn't hurt to give away," referring to the separate sack of money from interest (from loans) and fines (from members who violate group rules). No one knows how much of it came from where, so it doesn't hurt to give that money for other purposes. Even so, groups have had members voluntarily give from their own savings to improve the local church facilities or help needy people.

Finally, she said that they are no longer going to speak of this as a Women's Society activity (of the United Church of Christ), they are going to speak of it as the Family Development program. There are women who are sitting around doing nothing, but they can think "I'm part of the Women's Society." Also, not everyone wants to save regularly. On the other hand, everyone has a family, and everyone can think and needs to think that "My family's development begins with me." Savings groups are one way people can foster that development, but they are not the purpose of the activity, they are merely an instrument toward other ends.

15 May 2010