Image: Gilberta feeds one of the group’s cows (credit: Gift Munthali)
Gilibeta Letasi is a widow with five children and lives in a rural community in Dedza, Malawi. Before joining a Village Savings and Loans (VSL) group in 2019, she used to struggle to feed her family. She eked out a living from working in other people’s gardens and often had to rely on support from friends and family members.
Gilberta says: “I never harvested enough from my 0.3 ha land as I could not manage to buy farm inputs. I did not have available cash to buy food and life was very difficult.”
Gilberta’s local VSL group, Tinyadire, was one of 317 groups set up by United Purpose’s ASPIRE programme. After some initial hesitation, she decided to join it in 2019.
In her first year in the VSL, Gilibeta received MK180, 600.00 (195.83 Euros). This was a huge amount for her and she used it to rent three fields of 0.4ha each, at MK83, 000.00, and started buying and selling sprouted finger millet. She spent the rest on buying agriculture inputs for her crops and providing for her family’s needs.
In 2020, Gilberta harvested 25 bags of maize, 15 bags of groundnuts and 40kg beans – and she received K240,000 (260.25 Euros) from the VSL. With K180, 000.00, Gilberta bought 30 iron sheets and moulded bricks to build a house.
A different life
Gilibeta’s life is now transformed; she lives in a secure house, her family have enough food, and she has enough money to hire labour for her field.
However, Gilibeta feels that the greatest achievement of her 10-member VSL cluster group is using K1 million (1,084 euros) to buy four dairy cattle through the Department of Livestock. The Department linked and registered them with Chimbiya Dairy Cooperative in order to benefit from the dairy market and other animal services.
Gilberta says: “It is not easy to get dairy cattle, but ASPIRE empowered us through the VSL and now our dream has come true, even as individuals. I will benefit more in my life than before. I believe this change is here to stay for me.”
New investments, new opportunities
In addition, the VSL group has also partnered with Chimbiya cooperative which provides huge opportunities for market, capacity building and dairy animal services.
To ensure the sustainability of VSL groups, the ASPIRE programme put 317 VSL groups into eight clusters, which have invested their funds into different long- and medium-term businesses such as pig rearing and goat production, whilst others have bought shares for Kuwala Soap Cooperative.
Context:
Gilibeta is one of the many women that have benefited from 317 VSL groups established by United Purpose’s ASPIRE programme with a total of 7,748 (1,387 men and 6,361 women) members. The VSLs aim to promote access to financial services, savings culture, and investment in sustainable business opportunities.
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