Afghanistan Earthquake Relief
Mozambique: Empowering Women against Natural Disasters through Savings
Savings Group is a support group formed to foster a habit among group members to save money. World Vision started women savings groups three years ago in Chibuto district, Mozambique, and it has helped women to mitigate the financial effects natural disasters impose.
"Our group started with 27 women in the village and has grown to 30 members. Now, eight more groups have been organised in neighbouring villages," says Lydia. Every month, each member contributes a minimum of US$2 to the group and members can apply loan for small business investment or other income generating initiatives to earn decent income.
The loan becomes very helpful, especially in times of need. "When El Niño happened, we never really got affected that heavily because we were earning income and had savings," shares Lydia. Another member of the group, Sandra says, "The impact of the long dry season was minimised because of the available loan for us." When disaster hits, they would still be able to fulfill their families' basic needs.
