By Ahmed Ahmed
The Federation of Muslim Women’s Associations in Nigeria (FOMWAN) Bauchi State Chapter has trained 1,535 women on microwaving schemes through Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLA) in 30 communities of the State between 2020 to 2023
The Project Officer FOMWAN, Mrs Fauziya Idris disclosed at the end-of-the-year meeting Wednesday in Bauchi, saying VSLAs continue to serve as an effective vehicle for economic justice and long-term resilience.
Idris explained that FOMWAN has positively impacted 1,535 women through 73 VSLAs in 30 communities across four LGAs in the State, saying collective savings from these initiatives amount to a total of N52 million.
“126 women graduated the literacy classes while a woman from the Bagel community was able to go back to SS3 as she dropped out from SS2 and got married now this woman just enrolled in the college of education going for NCE
“This achievement and many more were made possible by the support of ActionAid Nigeria funded by Global Affairs Canada (GAC),” she said
She said the VSLAs project was aimed not only to increase resilience, but also decrease challenges around income, food, and healthcare.
“VSLAs in Emergencies have shown that when power is returned to even the most vulnerable women, they can improve their situation.
“FOMWAN being known for addressing issues around women and youth started the WVL-N project in the year 2020 with the support of ActionAid Nigeria and funding from Global Affairs Canada (GAC).
“The 5 years project has yielded a lot of significant successes and achieved huge progress in addressing economic violence,” she said
According to her, FOMWAN also advocated many CSOs and MDAs for collaboration in the fight against poverty, such as ASHHF and NHRC for GBV, BASAME & SUBEB for basic literacy education and the Ministry of Women Affairs relevant agencies for sustainable microfinance and SMEDAN for the economic empowerment VSLs.
A VSLA beneficiary, Mrs Aisha Abubakar, shared her experience from the Bagel community of Dass LGA. Said she had initiated the VSL group without any capital and faced challenges in depositing the agreed N200 contribution for over a month
“However, with the group’s support, she received a loan, allowing her to start saving weekly.
“By the end of the first cycle, she had accumulated N34,000 and earned a profit of N36,500.
“This success enabled her to take home N70,500, leading to her purchase of a grinding machine and the enrollment of two of her children in school.,” She said.