School Feeding Program improves school enrollment

Savings Loans Association piloted a feeding school program at Natuseko Community School. The results were phenomenal with increased school enrollment among children from poor families. There is a direct collaration between school feeding program and school attendence and enrollment among children.

With funding from the African Millennium Foundation, a USA based group, SLA gave a small grant to purchase food packs for children who only came to school. It was observed that children who are fed, consentrate in class and feel eager to attend school. Furthermore, when we asked the parents or caregivers of the children, the parents were more supportive to send their children to school becuase "our children are assured of a meal at school then staying at home

SLA plans to support additional school feeding packs for an additional term begining 2010 once funding is sourced. For more information on supporting our school feeding program, please contact Savings Loans Association or send us an e-mail

Ritik Tiwari Working with SLA in Zambia

EXPERIENCE WORKING WITH SLA IN ZAMBIA
By Ritik Tiwari (2008)

I am a student from Houston, Texas in the United States, hoping to enter medical school within the next few years. My previous education was in Cognitive Science (studying the brain and mind) and I had worked in Information Technology for three years before deciding to switch careers.
I wanted to learn about tropical medicine in sub-Saharan Africa by living there. After much research on idealist.org, I was impressed by the professionalism of the Savings and Loan Association (SLA) group in Zambia and contacted them. We exchanged emails over the next few months and they prepared to host me for two months in Kabwe.

Upon arrival in Zambia, I settled into one of the members home and was overwhelmed by meeting all the members of SLA and their church's Home-Based Care (HBC). My host and others had set up an opportunity to work with HBC, a nearby clinic, and the general hospital in town. This would be my main work for the two months in Zambia.

The first week was tough, not because of adjusting to Africa, but because of boredom. The country's entire healthcare system was on strike, effectively shutting down hospitals and clinics. But this worked out well because I had to get paperwork to enter the clinics and hospitals. Everything was cleared up by the next week and I was ready to start volunteering.


The Zambian hospital was an interesting experience because it was so different from what I had seen in the U.S. Readily apparent was the shortage of doctors and clinicians. I believe the entire country had only one pathologist on staff. Most cases I saw at the hospital were related to either hypertension, heart disease, or diabetes. It was disappointing because I do not have any clinical training and could only walk around with the doctors to watch them work. However, it was encouraging because I know I can go back after medical training and make an impact.

Clinics were a different experience from the hospitals because they tended to a local, neighborhood clientele. They were served by clinic officers (COs) whose qualifications range somewhere between a doctor's and a nurse's. The position was created to fulfill a shortage of medical doctors. Most patients the COs see had symptoms of infections and parasites such as malaria, tuberculosis, and bilharzia. Patients also had flu and colds because it was the cold season.

The scourge of HIV was also rampant at the clinic. I cannot cite any public health statistics, but where I was, it seemed like one in five to six people was infected. Every household in the neighborhood had a child orphaned by the epidemic. In fact, HBC members were assigned around half a dozen orphans each to keep watch over. They ensured that children were being properly fed, taking any medications they were supposed to, and that they were able to afford and attend school. I went around for a few of these Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC) visits with The Team. It seemed children mostly needed money for school supplies.

Though it was not the focus of my visit, I also saw the inner workings of the SLA. It provides an excellent opportunity for its members around Kabwe. Meetings are conducted every week on a strict basis. If a member does not have a valid excuse to miss a meeting, they must pay a penalty. If they are late to a meeting, they must pay a penalty. These penalty fees are added to the group's total fund. Such behavioral engineering creates a high level of accountability. It also creates a type of dedication that was very much visible across each member's face. Nobody grumbled about paying the penalty fees because they knew it was contributing to their overall benefit.

SLA has a high level of transparency with their finances. I was fortunate enough to sit through a meeting. Their accounting is well-kept and the books are easy enough for anybody to understand. Meetings also have multiple record keepers to keep the numbers accurate. I was very impressed by this level of organization and professionalism.

Unfortunately, the meeting I attended did not have members borrowing money, but I was able to see the fund's benefits while living in the neighborhood. I saw a member using money from SLA's funds to raise animals and grow maize. Another member was able to purchase school supplies for her children. Yet another had purchased critical medicines for her ailing mother.

Obviously the fund would not last too long if people borrowed without paying back. People are able to provide for their own businesses selling small goods thanks to SLA's fund. The loans are seed capital that generate income for members, allowing them to pay back the borrowed amount plus interest. Penalties are assessed if loans aren't paid back within three months.
Small loan associations are crucial for the development of nations like Zambia because so much of the population is under-served by conventional banks. These banks only undertake the risk of lending to institutions and individuals able to make large deposits. SLA, however, does not rely on the fixed policies of a bank and can move around more freely. As with the standard micro-lending model, risks on loans are spread throughout the entire group. All members are obliged to help if a single member is not able to pay back their loan.

SLA has been sustaining itself well since its formation but needs to raise its funding. Not having enough money to can be stifling for people heavily hit by unemployment and epidemics like HIV. By providing grants to increase SLA's base funding, more opportunities can be opened for its members. They can pursue larger-scale entrepreneurship. In turn, they would be connected to larger markets, which would open up many more opportunities to improve their lives.

National Partnership For Development

Savings Loans Association in it's aim to contribute to the millennium development goals of reducing poverty strives to collaborate with other partners inorder to expand impact.

Working withe the St.Charles Lwanga Parish Health Clinic, the program offers health care services to thos who desperately need support but are not able to meet the costs associated with it.

As stipulated in the millennium development goals # 8, SLA is working with the Clinic to help serve more children and their families with basic health care such as the treament of opportunistic infections, skin rushes and Voluntary Counseling and Testing for HIV.

SLA gave a donation of 1m Kwachas ($220) for the purchase of medications at the clinic.

Donating the check is Ms Jean Nkatah, Tresurer of SLA to the Head Priest at St Charles Lwanga Parish Clinic. The donation would offer a treatment course of Malaria for almost 20 people.

Sponsor your name to support a women Group in Zambia

Savings loans Association (SLA) has now initiated a program that allows interested groups/individuals to sponsor a group of women to help them improve their livelihoods.The group will bare the name of the sponsor-example: " John Banda SLA Groups" We will then send you a picture of the group and offer you an opportunity to know how the life of the members will be impacted by your support. You will also be given an apportunity to directly contact your sponored group to start an innovative micro enterprise activity that will help them generate income to support other members of their family and send children to school

What YOU can do:

Sponsor a group of 5 women with a grant of $1,000 and ask them to provide you with a plan of action on how they will kick-start a basic micro enterprise initiative that will allow them to help improve their lives out of poverty. The group will have your name associated to the the group as the key sponsor of the group.

Share this information to others who would be interested to sponsor a group

Qualification for being a group member

1) Each member will have a minimum of 3 children under her care

2) Each member will meet the minimum requirements under the SLA selection creteria for support that includes amoung others : Classified as disproportionately poor with little or no source of income; Directly impacted by HIV/AIDS through the death of spouse

Be part of this initiative and help to change the lives of women who desperatly need help

SOCIAL CAPITAL-A solution for Collaborative Partnership

SLA is currently planning to hold its first ever meeting to look at social capital in Natuseko community/compound. What is Social Capital ?

Social Capital is a connection among individuals and the relationships that can be economically valuable. Social networks that include people who trust and assist each other can be a powerful asset.ir.netflix.com/glossary.cfm That is precicely what SLA wants to build on to help those who are not familiar with the facilities we have in our community.

-A number of children, marginalized, oppressed, vulnerable do not have a single clue that if they suffer from usurpation (property grabbing) they can receive free legal counsel on how to address these horrific moments seeing their property taken over by skleptocratic families (corrupt and greedy)
- A sexually abused woman/girl can easily receive free consultation legal advice by a number of groups dealing with human rights within Natuseko Community.
- Women/widows from resource poor families can apply for small innovating grants from SLA

The list goes on and on but only a few get access to such information.Savings Loans Association in collaboration with the local community is currently seeking for financial support ($5,000) to conduct a Participatory Community Awareness on the availability of Social Capital within the community and kindly ask you to support this innovative approach towards development in a sustainable manner. WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT!

SLA TEAM

Netherlands Albert Schweitzer Foundation

(Right) Home Based Care Givers conducting home visits

(Left)Members of SLA show off thier sewing products

The Netherlands Albert Schwitzer Foundation is a typical example of how valuable a good relationship between a donor and an implementing partner can ensure success of a project.

NASF donated $4,000 to Savings Loans Association towards a two tire program that included :

Home Based Care support for families impacted by HIV/AIDS
Small Micro Loans for poor financially insecure homes

The results have been phenomenal- raging from improved care and support for families headed by grandmothers to improved income levels at household- children's needs such as food and clothing have been provided as a result of the support of NASF therefore relieving the pain, stress and psychological trauma grandmothers feel due to the loss of their own children and now taking up such a huge responsibility of looking after thier children's children.

In the Micro credit program- small loans have transformed into big successes and therefore improve income for financially insecured homes. Almost 15 families now have benefited from NASF's grant within the SLA program catchment area. Each day, members of the families who were not able to access loans through traditional lending institutions are finding that success is possible with the help of SLA. They are using the loans to open up small shops, farming, hair salons e.t.c. The small interest they pay back to SLA is used to for creating new opportunities for others in need. This approach is creating ripples inside the local economies of poor families and therefore others benefit from the success of their friends and/ or families who are part of this program.

SLA is so grateful to NASF and hopes to scale up both programs before the end of the year with an additional grant request of $3,000 from NASF and a $2,000 grant from Color Me Inc a USA based program. A total of 15 additional members will be recruited for small micro enterprise development

For others it is small, but for us it is a lot!

"For us, its a lot of money, but for others it's not"- Savings Loans Association depends on passionate people like you to help improve the lives of many women and their families impacted by HIV/AIDS and poverty.Little do you know that 1 USD currently is equal to 5,000 Zambian Kwachas. If you and your friends mobilized 50 people for each person to donate $1 only, you can help a family member to begin a micro enterprise local project. They can begin innovative locally based enterprise initiatives like hair braiding, selling of bread, growing tomatoes on the backyard and earn a living out of such a small amount.Join Savings Loans Association to change the lives of many women and families currently needing your help by being the champion to mobilize 5o members and ask them to donate $1 each.

An interview with Mary Kombe-Chairperson of SLA

Most people think that when you give or donate, it has to be a lot-Well this is not the case with Savings Loans Association-Chindwin Home Based Care -A localy organization working in Zambia's kabwe township helping to break the cycle of multigeneartional poverty through micro laons www.sloansassociation.org

Care Givers are a good example of what giving is all about-They give their time and effort with SLA to visit homes of people who suffer many forms of challenges- ranging from illness, psycho social, financial, spiritual to mention a few. SLA members have the love, care and time to visit homes of those who need help to talk to them and make them feel happy and be loved.Yet, they are not paid not even a single ngwee (Zambian) penny (UK)/dime (USA).

Now what really motivates these volunteers to do what they do so well in this challenging economic situation we face in Zambia, especially in Kabwe with no major industrial or coporate employing company other than Zambia Electricity Company? Well I spent a few hrs talking to Mary Kombe, who is the chair lady of SLA and volunteers for the organization:

Me: What do you understand by the term Home Based Care Volunteer?

Ms Kombe: TO volunteer means a lot of things-However, the common thread about volunteering-in this case for HBC is to offer your time and effort purely on charitable basis without any finanical returns.

Me: But most of you are coming from poor families with no consistent flow of income but yet you want to sepend your time doing these activities at the expense of your family?

Ms Kombe: I know somewhere in the Bible it says that "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. [Roman 13:9]This explains everything.

Me: What are some of the challenges volunteers from SLA experience?

Ms Kombe: We all face different challenges but a few fall within the same bracket: 1) The need to help is so great but we don't have the necessary resources 2) Transportation-Even a few basic bicycles would do a great job but our organization is very small and operates on a minuscule budget and therefore can not afford 3) The pain and torture to see someone die from preventable diseases like water borne diseases, eye problems and even HIV/AIDS.

Me: What suggestions do you have for members who would like to join SLA?

Ms Kombe: SLA is a wonderful christian group that offers an opportunity for people (in particular women) to offer their passion to help others.We believe that society will be measured not by what we have achieved but what we have done for others. Our small micro grant enterprise programs offer a unique opportunity for members to join groups and receive small loans to enable them begin activities that will not only keep them busy at home but will allow them to raise abit of income to help meet the many challenging needs we all share in common such as PUTTING FOOD ON THE TABLE.

ME: How many members have benefited from your program and where do you get such "small grants" from?

Ms Kombe: To-date we have helped close to 29 families-Typically a family in Kabwe has 6 members and therefore if you do the maths, we have helped on an average of about 174 members. Our small grants come from individuals like yourself who has a passion to help others and also from organizations like Netherlands Albert Foundation and African Millennium Foundation .

Me: Do you have any last words for the public?

Ms Kombe: Let us love one another and do what we can ONE PERSON AT A TIME.

Grandmothers | World Pulse

Grandmothers | World Pulse

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African Millennium Foundaton at work in Zambia-July 2009

African Millennium Foundation (AMF) http://1amf.org/index.php a US based charity in Los Angeles California is making huge strides in the lives of many families in Africa. One such family is headed by Quieen Kituta, a single widowed mother of 6 children and 3 grandchildren. In July of 2009, Lacey Uhlemeyer, program Manager for AMF and her family (shown in picture on the right) visited Savings Loans Association en route to other countries for her monitoring and site visits to come and witness first hand how small but innovative loans they provide has an impact on many families. With the small loan Ms Kituta received from her "group loan" at Savings Loans Association, she has been able to continue with her effort to raise chickens and to grow mushrooms to support her family. "Without these loans, my life would have been an uphill battle-Putting food on the table and sending my children and grandchildren to school would have been practically impossible-The loans are small: only $100 or $200 and I know that I will be able to repay back-The repayment period is equally very nice and acceptable compared to the mainstream banks and other lending institutions who may not even give you because of our poor background and no husband to support us-God is Great for groups like Savings Loans Association and Africa Millennium Foundation". Ms Kituta received a loan of $100 that she will have to pay back to her group within the agreed time frame so that others can also be supported.

African Millennium Foundation in line with the Millennium Development goals is helping organizations like SLA to address issues of poverty-One of the key solutions to poverty is a source of INCOME!

SLA with the help of organizations like AMF intends to scale up its work helping many families like Ms Kituta-But to do this "SLA requires a consitent flow of partners who can not only give us money to help communities but also help us to manage our resources and reach those who are far away in poverty stricken compounds.This should also include other development interventions such as health care, education for our children and access to clean and safe drinking water.AMF is such a good example of partners-Special thank you also goes to Malena Ruth, the Executive Director for AMF for allowing such a wonderful person like Lucey to come and visit our program" says Mary Kombe, Chairperson of SLA.

Dambisa Moyo AND DEAD AID

On behalf of everyone at Savings Loan Association, a local grassroot micro enterprise organization- we would like to support some of the views our native Zambian Economist and writer Dambisa Moyo has written in her thrilling book: DEAD AID.

Savings Loans Association http://www.sloansassociation.org/ indeed is a testimony on some of the prescriptions that Ms. Moyo preaches in her book as a solution out of poverty. At SLA, we have seen and proved that small but effective loans make a difference in the lives of the poor. Our support from passionate organizations that strongly advocate for micro loans like Color-Me-in Inc (USA) and African Millennium Foundation (USA); our own local Catholic Church at Chindwin -St Charles Lwanga Parish-clearly has seen what we can do to help poor and marginalized families tackle poverty from small loans as opposed to annual grants that come through extensive and complecated proposal writing-As a small but innovative women led organization, we believe and trust that small micro enterprise initiatives make a difference as alluded by Ms. Moyo (although at a national level she talks about macro financing). Our women groups have been able to rise above the mark by raising income from their small innovative activities such as selling well chickens or bread to well researched markets. From a monthly income of 500,000 zambian kwachas, some members are now making 800,000 (120 USD) zambian kwachas-an increase of about 300,000.This money can make a difference to send children to school,buy medicines for sick or let alone put food on the table. This approach is more effective becuase when you borrow money (small amounts) from group members, you have an obligation and commitment to pay back and be accountable to your group-Similar grounds on what Ms Moyou talks about-If Governements receive money from taxes/people, they intern will be accountable to the people they serve.

Thank you Ms Moyo for highlighting our work in your thrilling book(principle and initiatives of micro finance)-We hope that more community based initiatives will pick a leaf from your suggestions as a strategy to reduce poverty in Africa-Even though our impact at national level is very small-our support to community members as small as 20 families makes a huge difference in their lives than wondering what and where the next meal will come from. As an advocate for such an initiative, we also kindly ask you to donate even $100 to help some of our women groups as a sign of commitment to your proposal.

SLA

Ritik Tiwari from USA arrives!!!

Ritik Tiwari is a US citizen who ha a background in cognitive psychology. He has come to join our Home Based Team at SLA to be part of this passionate and caring team of members who offer their time and services at local clinics.
Savings Loans Association micro enterprise initiatives help to support those memebers who are unable to meet some of the basic costs for their care.Therefore, once again, our program proves to be an evidence-based initiative that has long lasting solutions to poverty. Ritiki Tiwari will experience workin with women groups, clinics and also provide training to some of the members in basic writing.He has also been assigned a huge task of initiating a possible partnership with another US organization for a micro loan program for a group of women who intend to run and manage an income generating program-rearing of chickens.We always emphasise the $100 donation can make a huge difference in a group of women working in their circles of families. Thank you!

New Approach to Micro Loans

Did you know that family circles are a better business solution for local small scale development programs? Did you also know that group financing is also an effective strategy for community based micro loans?

Savings Loans Association (SLA) is currently embarking on giving small micro loans to group members as opposed to individual micro loans. Members of the group (on an average, a group has 5-10 members) are responsible for issuing smaller loans to each member group. There are a number of advantages to this strategy:

1) The group is responsible to ensure that all monies received are returned for to SLA so that others can also borrow and improve economic livelihoods.

2) Savings, and rational decision skills are empowered among members.

Savings Loans Association will officially embark on the first group micro finance to a group of 8 members this coming month (June 2009)

Group Loans-A solution for micro credit Programs

Savings Loans Association with the support of a Dutch organization has embarked on a unique strategy to ensure that all micro loans given for community and household empowerment are utilized and returned continue the development intervention. How does this approach work?

1) The community identifies a project that would generate income to support individual households and community in general
2) The community members select individuals to join the groups comprising of 5 members per grou
3) SLA provides a block fund (micro loan) to the group
4) Each member of the group receives an average of $100-$250 micro loans and all payments to SLA is made as a group-If one defaults, the group has to meet the requirements for defaulting.

The advantage of this process allows individual members in the group to comply and ensure that all payments are done and on time-otherwise if not, the group is asked to pay a fine.

All members of the group feel ownership of the group project and individual household are empowered to sustain their lives.

Scaling up our work

With the current economic global crisis, to access funding for programs is a huge challenge that many local/small organizations like SLA is currently facing. Fortunately enough, we have been lucky to be blessed by our faithful partners-SLA has just recently been granted funds to help us scale up our HIV/AIDS home Based Care Program and micro loans. In the coming quarter, we will continue to provide additional micro loans to 10 more families who have been impacted by chronic poverty and HIV/AIDS.This means, 10 more families will be able to make additional money and improve economic livelihoods for their famiy members-
In addition, we will continue to provide the love, care and support for families with terminally ill patients for an additional 15 homes. In this regard, children who were concerned about their bleak future will now have something to smile about.

For more information about these program and our new sponsors from Netherlands, please contact us and/or coninue to visit our website. For those faithful partners and donors we graciously thank you for your continued support!!

Can $50 really change the life of a Zambian woman?

Many critics argue that donating a $50 to a micro credit organization can not in reall terms make any difference in the life of an ordinary person in Zambia.

Savings Loans Association Home Based Care www.sloansassociation.org is a loca organization that proves right that a small donation of $50 can in deed make a huge difference.

Josephine Nkandu is one such lady who after the lose of her job as cleaner lost hope of finding another job in Zambia's crippling economy affected by the global financial crisis. For many months, Josephine struggled to look after her four children pus husband who was out of employment due to midical conditions.This was a nightmare for Josephine!

Savings Loans Association gave Josephine a small loan of $50 (250,000 Kwachas) to start a small business selling daily basic needs such as sugar, oil and bread. On an ordinary day, she made an average profit of $8. Josephine recieved financial and business basic training from Savings Loans Micro enterprise training programs and she was able to manage her finances diligently. She has now expanded her business with a capital of $350 and hopes to do even better in the near future.

This is one typical example of how "small loans" can make a difference in the lives of people who would do so well if given a chance and training to manage their income.

For more information about Josephine and her story you can contact US

Savings Loans Association
www.sloansassociation.org