Update August 2011 - By January Watchman Mvula, Executive Director, SURCOD

Chididi women open to new concepts of empowerment

SURCOD (Sustainable Rural Community Development Organisation)
is implementing a women empowerment project through savings and capital building in rural Chididi, Nsanje.

The concept allows members to contribute money and lend to each other within the group. The loan attracts an interest rate of around 20% – payable after 30 days from the day the loan was obtained.

SURCOD develops the capacities of the women in group dynamics and business training. Currently, 20 groups have been formed and the population comprises 250 women.

The project has achieved a lot. Among other things, we are proud of producing groups to an area believed to be dry and non-responsive to new concepts by most institutions including the government.

Groups have responded very well to the concept. This is clear when looking at each group's monthly contribution. This is the core area of the project.

The organization has been positively affected by the overwhelming response of the women in Chididi. Instead of running the project from the central office, management has decentralized the system by having two field workers right in Chididi. The central office is almost 17 km away from Chididi.
Savings program wins over people and government departments

SURCOD has won the hearts of the people, including traditional chiefs.

Many have tried in Chididi, but failed because they find the place expensive to run a project due to its rough hills and poor telecommunication.

We are now able to interact with the community, including chiefs. We are able to talk about the most sensitive issues that communities rarely talk about, like traditional beliefs that put women in a disadvantaged class.

We are also able to interact with government departments like the Community Development Office and the Local Government Assembly. These arms of government are able to share their resources with us by using their knowledge and motorbikes.

During the past three months we were able to conduct informal Business Management, Savings and Loan Management trainings through our two field officers hand-in-hand with the Department of Community Development under the Ministry of Gender and Child Welfare.

Local leaders promise to help promote women

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keep up reading at: http://www.asafeworldforwomen.org/field-partners/fp-malawi/fp-surcod/let...