Swaziland: The Swazi Programme promotes Self reliance for women and youth

The Micro projects Programme promotes Self-reliance for women and youth, which it is a training and encouraging women in rural communities to establish savings and credit groups for business formations for groups and individuals for economic empowerment. This good practice has benefited about 2,900 women with 120 active groups and their economic status has been improved.The key objectives of this project is to empower women and the youth in rural areas to be able to be self-sustainable and have economic independence.The main activities are:

• Meeting relevant stakeholders. For example local leaders for support.
• Group sensitization and mobilization.
• Training women /youth on savings and problem solving.
• Groups take loans.
• Data collection on how many businesses have been formed from such groups.
• Monitoring and refresher training’s of the group members are on-going activities

The project has benefited about 2 900 women with 120 active groups. The project reaches 15 000 indirect beneficiaries. Of the direct beneficiaries, 29% of the participants have established various individual enterprises such as piggeries, soap and polish manufacturing, vegetable and egg production using the capital saved by the group under the saving schemes. The Swazi Government allocated $159 431 to this project. In kind contributions amounted to $39 858. The total budget for the project is $199 289.

The project has a strong monitoring and evaluation framework. There are baseline studies in place to measure changes in the economic status of participants attitudes and behaviours. Each savings group will develop an agreement for how the group will be run. As part of this, groups will complete a Summary Transaction Sheet at each meeting, which shows savings, loans and fees to ensure groups are on track. The project design allows for regular formal and informal feedback and will remain in place throughout the life of the project and beyond. An external financial audit will also be carried out annually by an accredited auditor to ensure accountable use of resources.

Some of the challenges that that the groups have faced include women or youth who take loans use the money for domestic uses. Others would take the money and never repay it. To overcome these challenges the monitoring department has been conducting refresher courses for members. Some women are not able to start their own businesses because there is no one to buy their wares because people in the area dealing with high levels of poverty.

Thembekile Myeni from Tibane says: “This project has removed the burden of us expecting to receive money from our husbands, we are now able to bring food and send our children to school.” Men have been supportive of the project because the see the contribution that this group scheme brings to the homesteads.

Communities do not need to go to town to get wares such as floor polish, soap and eggs because these products are provided by the women in the project. The nearby schools buy soaps, polish and other wares from these group schemes. The project results and lessons learned have been shared with authorities in an effort to increase awareness and interest in the economic empowerment of women and youth and this will make the authorities to consider these women when any policy is being put in place.

The project can be replicated fairly easily. The operational costs are kept to a minimum. Groups members live close together to negate transportation costs. Rather than giving participants money to start businesses, the project teaches participants how to save and manage their own money right from the outset. Group members use their initial deposit to cover the minimal startup costs.

A training-of-trainers model is used to build capacity of staff and community members to ensure knowledge and skills stay with the communities. Groups take control of their own operations, including mobilisation, development of an agreement for operating, and identification and problem-solving of challenges and issues. This process creates ownership and builds capacity in management and leadership. Community members are provided with workbooks that can be re-used and shared. Project results and lessons learned will be shared with authorities in an effort to increase awareness and interest in the economic empowerment of women and youth.