Village/ Youth Saving and Loan Association (V/YSLAs) are self-managed youth/ groups of 15-25 individual members from within a community who meet regularly (weekly, biweekly, or monthly) to save their money in a safe space, access small loans and obtain emergency insurance.

Village Savings and Loan Association is proven to be an effective way to increase women’s control over assets and bring women into the realm of financial inclusion and have been proven to accelerate their economic empowerment.  

Y/VSLAs CYCLE

• The Savings Group members meet regularly (weekly, biweekly, or monthly), create a group fund (or cash deposit) by accumulating their savings from which they can borrow as needed and repay with interest.  
• At the end of a set operating cycle (of generally about one year), the entire fund with interest earned is distributed to members according to the amount each has saved in the group.  
• Groups typically then begin the cycle again. 

Y/VSLA BENEFITS

• Save regularly in small, flexible amounts.
• Access loans to invest in their businesses or pay for big expenses like agricultural inputs. 
• Access emergency support through a basic insurance fund.  
• Access periodic lump sums to pay for school fees, farm activities or other home expenses like repairs and renovation. 
• Greater capacity to spend money for health care through the social fund which is a non-repayable fund. 
• Increase in the feeling of social and economic independence and confidence.
• Increase in participants livelihood security.
• Maintenance of existing levels of economic investment.
• Household-Improvement in diet and nutrition. 
• Community-Increase in ability to increase and maintain social support network.