The Group Savings Program

The Group Savings Program (GSP) is a savings and loans initiative designed to support women and girls in acquiring or expanding capital for businesses, with the goal of boosting household income and supporting education.

Modeled after a Village Savings and Loan Association (VSLA), each GSP group typically has 15–30 women and girls who live in the same village and know one another. Members meet regularly to save and access loans from their pooled savings. Interest paid on loans is returned to members as interest on their savings.
Groups first establish rules, which are formalized into a constitution and registered at the sub-county level. The constitution typically covers the group name, location, membership criteria and rights, savings and loan procedures, leadership structure, and other operational guidelines. Members then agree on the interest rate for loans, set the minimum savings amount, and determine the frequency of contributions. Leaders are elected and trained in leadership and savings management.
Before beginning their first savings cycle, members attend two trainings covering basic financial literacy—including setting financial goals to guide saving, loaning, and debt management—and foundational business skills such as business management and record keeping.
We have a stake in each group as we routinely make capital injections to improve the credit demands of the groups are met.

The GSP empowers women and girls economically, increasing household income, enhancing their decision-making power, and strengthening their role in households and communities. At the end of each twelve-month cycle, members receive their accumulated savings along with earned interest.

Currently, the program has 33 women and girls’ groups in Jinja, Mayuge, Luuka, Kamuli, and Buyende districts, comprising 1,159 members. Over the years, the GSP has grown in terms of membership, savings, loans financed, and interest earned, promoting financial inclusion and entrepreneurship among rural women and girls.