In the remote Katarere area of Eastern Zimbabwe, there are 1,625 people actively engaging in income generating activities that are financed through their savings clubs. This is because of a rural micro-finance partnership project between ASAP Africa and Concern Worldwide (CWW) known as Internal Savings & Lending (ISL). By design, ISL attracts the “economically active poor” where self selected groups receive training and guidance on managing savings clubs and their small business. To learn more about ISL,

What makes this project different than ASAP’s other ISL projects is that CWW specifically targets the “poorest of the poor” and this poses new challenges for the ASAP Zimbabwe team. In this project, 759 chronically ill, 195 widows, 48 people living with HIV/AIDs, and 7 child headed households are involved in these savings clubs. With a mission to cultivate self reliance, hand-outs are not normally “on the menu”. However, in these special cases, in conjunction with CWW, boost up capital in the form of business inputs are provided to these disadvantaged groups doing their best to succeed.

ASAP's Project Manager Alfred Jagada provides technical assistance for Jessica Satambara's poultry project

Local village leadership identifies women to receive this boost-up capital, which will help their existing income generating efforts grow and prosper. ASAP provides in-kind items to enhance, poultry, piggery and goat rearing projects as well as sewing, pottery, knitting, peanut butter making and market gardening inputs. In this way, women and children that were previously resigned to a life a destitution have re discovered their pride and self-esteem through achievement and success.