Honoring #WomenWhoSave Around The World

We work around the world with local partners to help communities start and lead Savings with Education (SwE) groups that bring people together to learn financial management and business skills.

SwE participants, many of whom are women, also have the opportunity to take small, low-interest loans from a fund to which all members contribute. They establish the rules of the group—like how much interest to charge and how to collect dues—and elect a president and treasurer. 

Women participants, or #WomenWhoSave, have started businesses selling handmade and used clothing, honey and produce. Others have started hair salons, makeup businesses or convenience stores. Through SwE, participants are given the tools they need to use their assets and resources to diversify and increase their income. With the sale of goods and strategic investments, women are able to provide financially for their families, pay their children’s school fees, build safe and secure homes and put some money away for emergencies.

SwE groups are part of our integrated approach, meaning that they are frequently part of programming that also focuses on climate-adaptive agriculture, food security, nurturing childcare, addressing violence against women and girls and disaster risk reduction. 

Through our integrated Early Childhood Development programs, women have been able to learn nurturing care techniques and plant kitchen gardens at home to meet multiple family needs at once–providing nutritious foods and a nurturing environment for the healthy development of children. To build Climate Resilience against drought, flooding and extreme weather, women farmers in our programs have learned how to adapt their farming practices while learning ways to grow their businesses by providing other kinds of services and products to the market.

After 3 years, when our partnership supporting SwE programming concludes, the goal is that the groups sustain themselves, serving as community banks and trusted spaces for continued learning, sharing and growth.

Join us in recognizing a few of the #WomenWhoSave we’ve had the honor of working with over many decades of SwE programming.

“The SwE training has given us great ideas to run our business and has made us stronger as a group.”

“I have learned to take better care of my grandchildren. With the coming of the SwEprogram things are different. More caregivers are learning more on parenting and the importance of saving.”

“SwE has helped women, especially very young mothers, live in peace, have a voice and be respected in their families and in the community.”

“Economic opportunities improve the quality of life for women in the community and give a good example tothe younger generation of women. SwE groups help women save their money and take out low interest loans in order to meet their families’ needs.”

“I encourage the participants in my group to adhere with focus so that they can achieve their goals.”

“The implementation of SwE is contributing to the organization of the community and bringing hope to the participants.”

“Here in Uíge city, many women are the heads of families because their husbands abandoned them and their children,” Joyce shared. “It is important to provide economic opportunities for women so they can help with the sustainability of the family, especially the children.”

“The savings group has created a bond of togetherness for us, and has reduced feelings of loneliness.”