By Lucian Kulanda

The Women Igniting the Spirit of Entrepreneurship, have exhibited their capability on resources mobilisation and utilisation for increased voice and influence through Village Savings and Loan Association (VSLA).

The power to enforce women empowerment has become a common goal, it is believed that when women are given the platform they can do more than expected. The project officer for SEND Sierra Leone in Western Area Rural District Mohamed Kanu, made it clear that women are naturally managers, and so must be given the space to develop nationally and even individually.

The project officer in his statement also disclose that, the village banking idea with box came into implementation in 2018 with support from TROCAIRE and IRISHAID, to see how best they can train women in villages on how they can generates resources within their communities, give out loans to fellow women so they can become self-reliant.

Mr. Kanu went on to state that, the Village Savings and Loan Mobilisation has proven fruitful because the women have been able to achieve a lot of goals through this savings in their communities and their successes are laudable.

He said their organisation is impressed with the increase so far, of over two hundred million leones generated from just an idea that followed up with trainings.

As a female Member of Parliament for Constituency 112 and a business woman Honorable Haja Miatta Amara, urged the women to be focus and have set goals that they should work to achieve and as well have passions whatever it is they find themselves doing so to succeed in the end.

The honorable also commended them for the great progress they have made so far from the VSLA. She also encourage them to support their fellow women that are aspiring for leadership positions in their communities for better representation, because she believe that what men can do women can do it even better.

The Village Savings and Loan Association project targets women in Waterloo Koya York and Mountain Zone in the Western Area Rural District, and these women have achieved enormous benefits and experienced positive changes in their financial status through the savings and loans.

Kadiatu Mansaray is from the Mountain Zone she said, SEND has not only train them on resource mobilisation but has also given them confident to speak in public and also contest with men for important positions in their communities and they are not afraid.

She said presently she has been elected the Section Chief for the Yalunka community in Mountain village.

Gloria Mattia is also a beneficiary of the Village Banking and Loan Association who said they now have their own banking facility through the Savings and Loan box, which is at all times ready to loan them any amount they desire without any protocols.

As compere to the former baking system that requires a lot of collaterals. She said before now it was very difficult to borrow money from each other because your neighbor does not always have enough to lend, but SEND has help them to utilise and save and they have been able to support their husbands in running of the home financially and there has been peace and harmony.