Africa
Women’s Credit Scheme, Zanzibar
A women’s credit scheme in a remote village in Zanzibar consisting of about 20 women obtained a loan from Tanzania Gatsby Trust (TGT) to produce vegetables on a large-scale. They have a large plot of land and have cultivated about half by growing peppers, tomatoes, onions and local Tanzanian vegetables. They all work in the field and take turns in selling the produce at the local market. They also have their own weekly market where buyers can come and purchase the vegetables freshly picked from the field.
The group formed a cooperative and appointed a chairman, secretary and accountant. On 27th of every month the group attends a meeting where each woman pays a percentage of the loan. Once this loan has been paid off in full they will then be able to apply for further funding in order to install a more efficient irrigation system. At present the irrigation system works by the use of a foot pump, which is extremely hard work and very laborious.
The husbands, realising how successful the women had become, wanted to join them. The women agreed with the concept of working with the men but insisted that they set up their own group and receive separate funding. They wanted to keep the loans separate as they were worried the men would not make the monthly payments. The profits from this enterprise pay for their children’s schooling and uniforms.
