Federation of Disability Organisations in Malawi (Fedoma) has come up with village savings and lending (VSLs) groups in Balaka with the aim of ensuring that people with disability are financially included.
Deborah Mitawa, Fedoma District Coordinator for Balaka, said not only will the new ‘We Can Manage’ groups include people with disability but also promote access to loans for other members of society.
“The other unique thing about ‘We Can Manage’ VSLs is that members will pay interest on the loan to be taken upfront to act as a collateral; thereafter they will be servicing the loan only without paying interest,” Mitawa said.
She said this will provide easy access to cash to all group members apart from promoting community integration.
Village Headman Kapalamula bemoaned the tendency of some VSLs which exclude people with disabilities thinking they are incapable of being financially independent.
“The misconception that people with disabilities cannot be financially independent perpetuates the cycle of poverty and helplessness amongst people with disabilities giving rise to the habit of begging as a last resort,” Kapalamula said.
He urged the community to give people with disabilities an opportunity to transform their lives through economic empowerment and inclusion.
The project which was adapted from Uganda is being piloted in Dedza and Balaka with funding from Norwegian Association of Disability and will run up to 2019.
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