Great to be part of this all-stars group and to enjoy and contribute to the wealth of knowledge and experience, and above all the excellent attitude of sharing and learning.
Please find attached two experiences that i have led over the past years in Iraq, one was with Oxfam with support from UNDP (2017) and one with Samaritan's Purse with support from WFP.
The first experience was with Oxfam adopted a different model of saving groups, the ROSCA, or the "Jamiyya" or "Silfa" as known in Iraq, which was successful to help participants share their savings regularly to loan each other based on throwing lots about whose turn every month or every two weeks, to support small businesses in a regular basis, the model is fully documented and is an excellent reference. This model was relevant to the mindset that we servend, among Returnees, IDPs and Refugees in-camp and out-of Camp in Iraqi Kurdistan, which also served as a social cohesion factor.
The second experience was to develop Farmers' self-help groups, or Women Value-Added groups, in returnees' communities in Hamdaniya, where Samaritan's Purse invested in these groups to organize themselves, receive an in-kind machine to operate together, and receive cash for training incentives from WFP, while learn about the ROSCA model for their at-choice use. Some farmers' self-help groups, and all women value added groups adopted ROSCA, and they used some of their cash for training income, and some savings' collection from their households, to do a self-funded group business in food processing, to sell in their local market and continue their group business from their profit margin.
I attach to this email both experiences in terms of the documentation from Oxfam, and the SoPs from Samaritan's Purse.
In the process of putting these together, were there many conversations about how humanitarian agencies might determine when *they *are best positioned to provide savings group technical support, and how to ensure they are not displacing local efforts?
Concretely, I'm thinking about the case of Yemen, where both the MFI association and NGOs are providing VSLA support.
Is there already concrete guidance on this topic? It seems like assessing the landscape for existing savings group TA providers might be a good basic best practice to rally around (and perhaps it already is?) But would love to hear more about how agencies are approaching this step in the process, given the limitations short humanitarian program cycles pose on delivering quality accompaniment to the groups.
Look forward to hearing your thoughts!
Sara Murray Independent Consultant with Mercy Corps & CGAP [Hidden email]
Sept. 18, 2022,
5:42 a.m.
Ghamdan Al-Soufi
Hi Sarah and Everyone,
The team is but one of the variables in the implementation of any project. I faced similar situation before working on VSLA and all changed when the team can see proper plans and very feasible objectives for themselves as implementers and tangible impact for community.
I had the opportunity of leading successful VSLA project in Yemen previously with IRC 2019. I would like to share some suggestions based on my humble experience in the subject. Hoping to be of help, as I see those follow as the main factors supporting successful VSLA in Yemen:
*1- Context, context, context. (I can't emphasize enough on the importance of contextualized approach regarding general plan and/or location, situation need. It should be flexible implementation based on each group/association location, preferences, etc.)*
*2- Strong advocacy and community/clients engagement. Accepting and adapting the idea by community is must critical.*
*3- Team should have various business skills and preferably small business background as owners or consulting experience. In addition to, very well trained team in business and other complementary subjects related to VSLA. One of which is financial analysis of cash flow in each group to provide timely advice to group's management of potential financial risk or corrections needed.*
*4- Although VSLA is for the vulnerable clients, it would be very helpful to encourage small number of financially capable people of the communities to participate in VSLA to support provide supportive role in groups' periodic cash flow. This point mostly depends on context and should be carefully considered.*
* 5- Team should keep close monitoring on VSLA activities without making the groups depend or hindering self-sufficiency.*
There are many issues that need attention from team and careful handling. However, community feeling of project ownership and cooperation is most important in my opinion.
I would be happy to provide you with more information as I possibly can. Feeling free to reach out anytime.
Best Regards,
Ghamdan M. Al-Soufi
Sept. 16, 2022,
3:11 p.m.
Sarah J Ward
Hey Sara!
Yes indeedâ¦. this is something we talked about A LOT. In fact one of the challenges that often caused SG in emergencies to fail/struggle was when humanitarian teams were not yet believers in the SG model - when they had not seen it work, it always sounded too good to be true. And when they were new to the model that did not have the depth or experience with it is really know how and what to adapt and what needed to be left aloneâ¦and working with those who already do it well solves that problem.
In fact, one of the earlier resources I worked on â before this one â had this as the FIRST STEP.
I would encourage everyone who is interested to read and use this resource for just what Sara is talking about:
These resources I shared in the earlier post are more for those who are already âon the busâ with savings groups ð.
There was a lot of talk about this â¦and thatâs one of the reasons we have in the slides for âTimeline and Set-Upâ to make sure there are links to those implementing these programs. In fact, in using established training and support curriculum for SGs - which is rule number one in â that is one of very first steps that you would see!
However, the groups also found hat in many emergencies - and especially with refugee and mobile groups like IDPs â there were not strong networks or SG training experts who could/would be able to work with these populations AND when humanitarian funding (and was then used to support SG work) came - it came via âresponseâ agencies.
That said a lot of the implementors DO have partnerships with MFI that have some SG training ans support capacity â so that was and is a really important first step.
What is your experience guys? Do you have good partners can work with SGs?
Dear Sarah and Team, Thank you so much for the great work you have done to put together these resourceful materials on SGs. Thanks for sharing.
Kind Regards, Ekalale Patrick Ekom Project Officer-Financial Inclusion and organisational Development DanChurchAid Kenya P.O. Box 1878-00606, Nairobi - Kenya Tel: +254 742012194/0105010496 Skype: ekom.ekalale Website: www.danchurchaid.org <http: kenya="" where-we-work="" www.danchurchaid.org="">
DCA welcomes complaints! Write to [Hidden email] <mailto:[Hidden email]> or call toll free line: 0800 72 00 52
Sept. 14, 2022,
5:53 p.m.
Sarah J Ward
Hi MiC'ers,
I have not written in a while - but I am so excited to share with you all these resources on Savings Groups in Emergencies - that I had the honor of contributing to - in collaboration with an amazing group of professionals from across so many key agencies.
As you know, I bang the drum for savings-led/participant-led financial inclusion all the time, and I work with refugees, crisis and emergencies too. I have been thinking about and working on the links between the two for over 20 years.
These new resources build on that thinking and learning, and I hope will help keep the momentum of savings groups (VSLAs, SLICs, SGs, Self-Help Groups, whatever you call them) becoming valued and supported partners in humanitarian response, recovery, resilience, and self-reliance for those affected by crisis and conflict.
We did not have a lot of practical resources to support practitioners to do savings group work in emergencies - and now we do!
* Watch the Video! <https: feed="" update="" urn%3ali%3augcpost%3a69758500697658736<br="" www.linkedin.com="">65/?midToken=AQGOT_-lZwZZ-Q&midSig=1BcdPEPMFPZWo1&trk=eml-email_notification _single_content_processing_complete_01-notifications-1-null&trkEmail=eml-ema il_notification_single_content_processing_complete_01-notifications-1-null-n ull-aoskw%7El81tvwjy%7E8p-null-voyagerOffline> * Use the Slide Deck and resources to train your staff, leadership, donors <https: 1gdcka0cte_ykavm9914kigfbdfxoiy0x="" d="" docs.google.com="" ed<br="" presentation="">it?usp=sharing&ouid=113984672162576972000&rtpof=true&sd=true> * Read the Flyer <https: 09="" 2022="" sgs-in-emergencies_flyer.fi<br="" uploads="" wp-content="" www.care.org="">NAL-A4.pdf> and the Brief <https: 09="" 2022="" sgs-in-emergencies_learning<br="" uploads="" wp-content="" www.care.org="">-BRIEF_FINAL-MedRes.pdf> * Reach out to me <mailto:[Hidden email]> @Sarah Ward, or any of the brilliant colleagues you will see who worked on these tools as a cross-agency, cross-sector project. It is the best of all of us.
And tell me, because I hope the answer is yes, are you working with savings groups in your emergency responses? Rapid and Slow-onset? Are you working with them when you do Cash Transfers? How's that going for you?
Oct. 1, 2022, 8:45 a.m.
[Hidden email]
Sept. 18, 2022, 12:54 p.m.
Ayman Ramsis
Great to be part of this all-stars group and to enjoy and contribute to the
wealth of knowledge and experience, and above all the excellent attitude of
sharing and learning.
Please find attached two experiences that i have led over the past years in
Iraq, one was with Oxfam with support from UNDP (2017) and one with
Samaritan's Purse with support from WFP.
The first experience was with Oxfam adopted a different model of saving
groups, the ROSCA, or the "Jamiyya" or "Silfa" as known in Iraq, which was
successful to help participants share their savings regularly to loan each
other based on throwing lots about whose turn every month or every two
weeks, to support small businesses in a regular basis, the model is fully
documented and is an excellent reference. This model was relevant to the
mindset that we servend, among Returnees, IDPs and Refugees in-camp and
out-of Camp in Iraqi Kurdistan, which also served as a social cohesion
factor.
The second experience was to develop Farmers' self-help groups, or Women
Value-Added groups, in returnees' communities in Hamdaniya, where
Samaritan's Purse invested in these groups to organize themselves, receive
an in-kind machine to operate together, and receive cash for training
incentives from WFP, while learn about the ROSCA model for their at-choice
use. Some farmers' self-help groups, and all women value added groups
adopted ROSCA, and they used some of their cash for training income, and
some savings' collection from their households, to do a self-funded group
business in food processing, to sell in their local market and continue
their group business from their profit margin.
I attach to this email both experiences in terms of the documentation from
Oxfam, and the SoPs from Samaritan's Purse.
Wishing you all the best of success.
Sincerely,
Ayman
Ayman Ramsis
+201006712846 (WhatsApp)
+9647510539220 (Viber)
Sept. 18, 2022, 5:44 a.m.
[Hidden email]
Thank you for sharing these great resources.
In the process of putting these together, were there many conversations
about how humanitarian agencies might determine when *they *are best
positioned to provide savings group technical support, and how to ensure
they are not displacing local efforts?
Concretely, I'm thinking about the case of Yemen, where both the MFI
association and NGOs are providing VSLA support.
Is there already concrete guidance on this topic? It seems like assessing
the landscape for existing savings group TA providers might be a good basic
best practice to rally around (and perhaps it already is?) But would love
to hear more about how agencies are approaching this step in the process,
given the limitations short humanitarian program cycles pose on delivering
quality accompaniment to the groups.
Look forward to hearing your thoughts!
Sara Murray
Independent Consultant with Mercy Corps & CGAP
[Hidden email]
Sept. 18, 2022, 5:42 a.m.
Ghamdan Al-Soufi
The team is but one of the variables in the implementation of any project.
I faced similar situation before working on VSLA and all changed when the
team can see proper plans and very feasible objectives for themselves as
implementers and tangible impact for community.
I had the opportunity of leading successful VSLA project in Yemen
previously with IRC 2019. I would like to share some suggestions based on
my humble experience in the subject. Hoping to be of help, as I see those
follow as the main factors supporting successful VSLA in Yemen:
*1- Context, context, context. (I can't emphasize enough on the importance
of contextualized approach regarding general plan and/or location,
situation need. It should be flexible implementation based on each
group/association location, preferences, etc.)*
*2- Strong advocacy and community/clients engagement. Accepting and
adapting the idea by community is must critical.*
*3- Team should have various business skills and preferably small business
background as owners or consulting experience. In addition to, very well
trained team in business and other complementary subjects related to VSLA.
One of which is financial analysis of cash flow in each group to provide
timely advice to group's management of potential financial risk or
corrections needed.*
*4- Although VSLA is for the vulnerable clients, it would be very helpful
to encourage small number of financially capable people of the communities
to participate in VSLA to support provide supportive role in groups'
periodic cash flow. This point mostly depends on context and should be
carefully considered.*
* 5- Team should keep close monitoring on VSLA activities without making
the groups depend or hindering self-sufficiency.*
There are many issues that need attention from team and careful handling.
However, community feeling of project ownership and cooperation is most
important in my opinion.
I would be happy to provide you with more information as I possibly can.
Feeling free to reach out anytime.
Best Regards,
Ghamdan M. Al-Soufi
Sept. 16, 2022, 3:11 p.m.
Sarah J Ward
Yes indeedâ¦. this is something we talked about A LOT. In fact one of the challenges that often caused SG in emergencies to fail/struggle was when humanitarian teams were not yet believers in the SG model - when they had not seen it work, it always sounded too good to be true. And when they were new to the model that did not have the depth or experience with it is really know how and what to adapt and what needed to be left aloneâ¦and working with those who already do it well solves that problem.
In fact, one of the earlier resources I worked on â before this one â had this as the FIRST STEP.
I would encourage everyone who is interested to read and use this resource for just what Sara is talking about:
https://www.peiglobal.org/savings-groups-refugees-10-tips-development-and-humanitarian-actors
These resources I shared in the earlier post are more for those who are already âon the busâ with savings groups ð.
There was a lot of talk about this â¦and thatâs one of the reasons we have in the slides for âTimeline and Set-Upâ to make sure there are links to those implementing these programs. In fact, in using established training and support curriculum for SGs - which is rule number one in â that is one of very first steps that you would see!
However, the groups also found hat in many emergencies - and especially with refugee and mobile groups like IDPs â there were not strong networks or SG training experts who could/would be able to work with these populations AND when humanitarian funding (and was then used to support SG work) came - it came via âresponseâ agencies.
That said a lot of the implementors DO have partnerships with MFI that have some SG training ans support capacity â so that was and is a really important first step.
What is your experience guys? Do you have good partners can work with SGs?
Looking forward to hearing moreâ¦
Sarah
Sarah J Ward (she/her)
Livelihoods and Economic Recovery in Crisis
<mailto:[Hidden email]> [Hidden email]
Skype: sarahjward
+1 518 929 6975
LinkedIn: <https: in="" sarah-ward-5280196="" www.linkedin.com=""> https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-ward-5280196/
Sept. 16, 2022, 7:25 a.m.
[Hidden email]
Thank you so much for the great work you have done to put together these resourceful materials on SGs.
Thanks for sharing.
Kind Regards,
Ekalale Patrick Ekom
Project Officer-Financial Inclusion and organisational Development
DanChurchAid Kenya
P.O. Box 1878-00606, Nairobi - Kenya
Tel: +254 742012194/0105010496
Skype: ekom.ekalale
Website: www.danchurchaid.org <http: kenya="" where-we-work="" www.danchurchaid.org="">
DCA welcomes complaints! Write to [Hidden email] <mailto:[Hidden email]> or call toll free line: 0800 72 00 52
Sept. 14, 2022, 5:53 p.m.
Sarah J Ward
I have not written in a while - but I am so excited to share with you all
these resources on Savings Groups in Emergencies - that I had the honor of
contributing to - in collaboration with an amazing group of professionals
from across so many key agencies.
As you know, I bang the drum for savings-led/participant-led financial
inclusion all the time, and I work with refugees, crisis and emergencies
too. I have been thinking about and working on the links between the two for
over 20 years.
These new resources build on that thinking and learning, and I hope will
help keep the momentum of savings groups (VSLAs, SLICs, SGs, Self-Help
Groups, whatever you call them) becoming valued and supported partners in
humanitarian response, recovery, resilience, and self-reliance for those
affected by crisis and conflict.
We did not have a lot of practical resources to support practitioners to do
savings group work in emergencies - and now we do!
* Watch the Video!
<https: feed="" update="" urn%3ali%3augcpost%3a69758500697658736<br="" www.linkedin.com="">65/?midToken=AQGOT_-lZwZZ-Q&midSig=1BcdPEPMFPZWo1&trk=eml-email_notification
_single_content_processing_complete_01-notifications-1-null&trkEmail=eml-ema
il_notification_single_content_processing_complete_01-notifications-1-null-n
ull-aoskw%7El81tvwjy%7E8p-null-voyagerOffline>
* Use the Slide Deck and resources to train your staff, leadership,
donors
<https: 1gdcka0cte_ykavm9914kigfbdfxoiy0x="" d="" docs.google.com="" ed<br="" presentation="">it?usp=sharing&ouid=113984672162576972000&rtpof=true&sd=true>
* Read the Flyer
<https: 09="" 2022="" sgs-in-emergencies_flyer.fi<br="" uploads="" wp-content="" www.care.org="">NAL-A4.pdf> and the Brief
<https: 09="" 2022="" sgs-in-emergencies_learning<br="" uploads="" wp-content="" www.care.org="">-BRIEF_FINAL-MedRes.pdf>
* Reach out to me <mailto:[Hidden email]> @Sarah Ward, or any
of the brilliant colleagues you will see who worked on these tools as a
cross-agency, cross-sector project. It is the best of all of us.
And tell me, because I hope the answer is yes, are you working with savings
groups in your emergency responses? Rapid and Slow-onset? Are you working
with them when you do Cash Transfers? How's that going for you?
Be well everyone, and hope to hear from you soon,
Sarah
Sarah J Ward (she/her)
Livelihoods and Economic Recovery in Crisis
<mailto:[Hidden email]> [Hidden email]
Skype: sarahjward
+1 518 929 6975
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-ward-5280196/
</mailto:sjward2001@gmail.com></mailto:sjward2001@gmail.com></https:></https:></https:></https:>