By Daniel Friesen
October 7, 2024

World Renew works to equip communities with the training and tools they need to overcome poverty—not just for today, but for generations. In Sierra Leone, with the support of World Renew’s local partner, Christian Extension Services (CES), community members in Konkoya established a Village Savings and Loan Association (VSLA).

In rural communities, like Konkoya, where families have limited or no access to banks and financial institutions, a VSLA gives members the opportunity to save and access loans. Typically, VSLA members make regular contributions to a savings pool and as the pool grows, they can take out low-interest loans. When members repay the loans at year’s end, each member receives their savings with interest to do with as needed in what is called the annual “share-out.” A few years ago, Konkoya’s VSLA leadership decided to do something different.

Instead of the annual “share-out,” the 30-member VSLA divided into five smaller groups, and each group used their year-end savings to purchase a cow, with each group of six giving responsibility to one member for the care of the group’s cow. Konkoya is traditionally a farming community, so the purchase of livestock has introduced a new way for the community to generate income.

Umu Kamara, chairperson of the VSLA, states, “Before this time, we were unable to send our children to school or do major home repairs because of lack of funds, but now we have expanded the CES VSLA idea, which has enabled us to own cattle and raise them to sell and pay for our expenses. All this is due to the CES intervention in Konkoya community. May God continue to expand the program!”

The Konkoya story demonstrates the kind of resourcefulness that World Renew and CES strive to foster in communities struggling with poverty.