Members of the Rosint community have expressed gratitude for the Village Savings and Loan Association (VSLA) initiative introduced by ActionAid in 2016, saying it has significantly improved their livelihoods.
James Kalokoh of Rosint community said the savings scheme began with about 30 people contributing between NLe 5 and NLe 10 while supporting one another.
“Pregnant women, for example, now use this fund instead of relying on microcredit,” he said.
He noted that the community has been able to construct a secondary school through the savings initiative, which has encouraged more people to join.
“My people are no longer going into gold mining. We are making effective use of this box, and new members continue to join us,” he said.
He added that membership has grown to 120 people. “Our highest savings range from seventy to eighty million, with profits between forty and sixty million, which we use to support others. In 2025 alone, we shared up to sixty-five million.”
He further explained that the scheme has reduced dependence on external borrowing, adding that even community facilities, including the court barrier, were renovated using the savings.
“We also supported the school with funds to construct a water pump. One of our colleagues whose house was about to collapse was given a loan of five million. The box has provided numerous forms of support to the people of this community,” he said.
He noted that members undergo training and that borrowers must provide a guarantor from within the community to prevent default.
He concluded by thanking ActionAid for its support, saying the initiative has strengthened families and reduced financial stress caused by microcredit loans. He also pledged to extend the scheme to other communities.
Hawanatu Sankoh, a mother of six, said she now pays her children’s school fees from income generated through the savings scheme.
“Through the savings, I now run a business and take care of my sick husband and children,” she said.
She explained that the initiative has freed them from dependence on microcredit institutions. “We used to hide when microcredit collectors came, but that has stopped.”
She added that the scheme has helped support medical bills, purchase seed rice, palm oil, and other essential needs.
“As women, we now depend on this box. I earned 3,000 per share after paying my yearly debt, and I have been able to support my children’s schooling,” she said.
“I am confident and independent now, and my husband and I live in harmony. At first, I was careless about the box, but now I can sleep in peace.”
She concluded by thanking ActionAid for the training and knowledge provided, and encouraged other women to join the initiative.
“We have gained awareness in our community. I encourage other women to join this box,” she said.
