After Jacinta Mutua’s husband died, she struggled with only an irregular income. To see her three grandchildren through school, she was forced to sell all the animals she had inherited from her late husband.

But when ABM AID partner ADSE came to Mbuvo, 52-year-old Jacinta saw an opportunity. In 2024, she joined the Wendo wa Ndiwa Women group, a widows/widower’s group which was formed by the project.

ADSE trained the group members on Village Saving and Loans (VSL). Jacinta gained skills in basic financial planning, saving discipline and responsible borrowing. This helped her to be able to put her little earnings into weekly savings. When the group formed a VSL kitty, Jacinta contributed her savings and actively participated in group planning related to savings and loan use. This is her story.

“Through the knowledge I gained from this project, I was able to take a loan of KES. 5,000 and secured a shop in the nearby local market and started a small retail business. I started with few items like 5 litres of cooking oil, 10 kilograms of rice and 5 packets of wheat flour and other small household items which the community require on a daily basis. The reason for starting the shop was to ensure that I had a consistent source of income.

A group share out was done in December 2024. I got KES. 9740 from my savings which I used to boost the business. I purchased a hen, and bought 20 litres of cooking oil, a bag of 25 kilograms of rice and a bag of 10 kilograms of sugar among other items. Purchasing the goods in bulk and selling in retail has more profits as compared to buying in smaller quantities. In addition, I get vegetables worth 150 shillings daily from group members who have established conical gardens which I pay back later in the day after selling the vegetables and I retain the profit. This has helped to give me a steady source of daily income for my household.”

Other ADSE trainings which Jacinta participated in were on group governance, establishment of commercial seed plots using conservation agriculture, establishment of conical gardens (which are water efficient to grow vegetables) and training on basket-making as alternative income generating activities. These trainings were an eye opener to Jacinta.

Jacinta said that participating in the VSLA had given her confidence and a sense of control over her finances, noting that saving together motivated her to remain disciplined and focused on long-term benefits.