EMPOWERING WOMEN THROUGH A VOLUNTARY SAVINGS AND LOANS GROUPS

STORY 1

Women saving for peace in South Sudan

By Joseph Scott, Communications and Policy Coordinator

As dawn breaks in Panyagor, the town main market starts to show some activity as people trickle in to set up stalls and others to open their shops. The early morning peace is occasionally broken by sounds of   stray goats and cows tussling for drinking water from the many puddles that dots the market’s narrow streets.

In a distance, some white smoke can be seen wafting from an iron sheet structure just close to the main street. Inside the structure, a young woman is kneeling over a large firewood stove making fire.

Women leading in small businesses

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Her name is Adau Asok Khor,25 and she runs one of the biggest restaurant in the main market. “I started small,” says Adau adding, “I had a small shop just behind the street where I prepared tea for my customers. Now, I own this big place.” 

Adau’s journey to success started in 2017 when she heard, from a friend, about a CARE supported voluntary savings and loans (VSL) group under the Addressing Root causes of Conflict (ARC) project.  

“Honestly, I wasn’t making much money from my tea room for me to save money, but I really wanted more capital to grow my business,” she says. “I joined one of the groups and deposited 480 South Sudanese Pounds (SSP) as a show of commitment.”

Ever since, Adau has never looked back. She would deposit her day’s profits in her VSL account and keep some for her business capital and a bit for food. After five months of saving, Adau had 8,000 SSP in her VSL account. She borrowed 20,000 SSP against her savings and invested all the money in her business.

Blossoming business

“I wasn’t sure if that was a right decision,” she says. “But I knew that if I buy the right food and prepare it well, I would win over customers.”

As her customer base grew, she saw an opportunity to open a restaurant to offer more than tea and bread. This meant she had to relocate to a new and bigger area.

“I was lucky because I found a vacant building just across the street. It was perfect as it had a small area for a tea room and another big space that I could turn into a restaurant,” says Adau who now employs four people to help her in the tea room and restaurant.

She has also found another market by offering catering services to non-governmental organisations in the area when they are having big events. This has been her biggest break so far.

“I have high standards which I always keep. These are also observed by my employees,” says Adau. “I think this is what has made such well-known organisations to come to me for my services.”

Saving for peace

Abu stays in a community where cattle raiding is rife. The stalled economy due to the ongoing conflict and the cultural value of cattle for marriage makes the practice not only a livelihood activity but a social necessity.

“Young men in this area see cattle raiding as a way out of poverty,” says Adau, adding, “But it has left many families broken as most of these raids are violent and sometimes lives are lost.”

The never ending cycle of cattle raiding has brought tensions among different tribes in the area. However, with support from CARE, the VSL groups are offering an alternative income to the women to support their men to bring food on the table.

“My husband is old and I am now the one supporting the family,” says Adau. “I also have friends in the VSL group who are supporting their families by engaging in small businesses. Although this doesn’t stop issues like cattle raiding, it gives an opportunity to reflect that there are other ways to make a livelihood.”

STORY 2

When Akur Anyang Thuch (33) from Panyagor started a tailoring course, her friends and close relatives thought she was out of her mind. In this strongly conservative community, her career choice was not only seen as ‘strange’ but also a threat to a long held tradition that women’s work should be confined to domestic chores.

“It was tough to convince people that a woman can be a successful tailor,” says Akur. “Now, even my friends who were against the idea are coming to learn tailoring.”

Five years down the line, Akur looks back with pride. She now owns her own tailoring shop and teaches other women from the community how to make clothes. However, her road to success wasn’t without some challenges.

“I wanted to grow my business but I didn’t have capital to buy my own sewing machines,” she says. “I had to rely on that of my trainer, which meant I couldn’t start putting to practice what I was learning.”

Village savings give women a lifeline

In 2017, Akur got an opportunity to access business capital when CARE started a voluntary savings and loans association (VLSA) under the Addressing Root Causes of Conflict project with funding from the Netherlands Government.

 “I didn’t hesitate to join savings group as this was the opportunity I was looking for,” she explains.

Akur managed to deposit 250 South Sudanese Pounds (SSP), which is less than $2, in the group’s account as her first savings. She worked hard to raise more money to save before getting a loan from the VSL group.

“I finally got a loan for SSP5, 000 which I used to buy cloths, threads and zippers. I negotiated with my trainer to rent one of his machine and that’s how I started my business.”

Today, Akur can access as much as SSP35, 000 ($150) from the savings group. This helps her buy materials in bulk, which allows her to negotiate for a discount.

“My main customers are women and girls who come to have dresses made for special occasions,” she says. “One dress for an adult cost SSP4, 000. Business is normally brisk during festivities such as Christmas where it’s a custom for the women and girls to have a new dress for the occasion.”

Supplementing the family income

Akur’s husband has never had a formal job.  He survives by buying and selling livestock. Sometimes he slaughters the animals and sells the meat to restaurants in the main market.  However, due to the stagnation of the economy, business has been bad.

“I have more than once helped my husband with some money to top up his capital,” says Akur. “Last year, I gave him SSP80, 000 and this year I gave him SSP20, 000. I want his business to grow as well so that we can help each to take care of our family.” 

Economic activities for peace

As in many parts of South Sudan, livestock business is a high-risk venture. Cases of cattle raiding are rife, creating conflicts in communities.

“The temptation is high for many young men to join gangs who engage in cattle raiding because they have nothing else to do for a livelihood,” says Akur. “I am happy that my business has given our family an income. I have also supported my husband financially, which   I think has deterred him from engaging in such a risky practice.”