Busega Scotland promotes the welfare of vulnerable women and families through women’s groups. They are collaborations with the women and other local organisations. Our aim is always sustainability and independence, and the four groups we have worked with so far are all now self-managing. 130 women been supported.
The centrepiece of each group is a vicoba (village community bank) that allow women members to take interest bearing loans, to grow their small businesses, and for the vicoba to grow its capital (that is owned by the group).
The real experts are the women themselves (and Julieth Godwin, our Assistant Project Leader, who supports the groups). We are planning three new groups in 2020, and so arranged a seminar in Mwanza, inviting group members from the town of Igombe and village of Chole to attend. The women described their successes and challenges and ideas for improvement. A Community Development Officer advised on the help available from the Tanzanian government.
The event was a great success, and ended will a lovely meal in a local café. We are grateful to a Dar es Salaam based charity, called The Goat Race, for sponsoring the event and Julieth is producing a conference report, that will be available on our website in due course,