The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has facilitated the formation of over 2,300 Savings Groups across the 16 districts in the country resulting in cumulative value of K1,130,000 in Savings.
The Savings Groups are also supported by the Strengthening Climate Resilience of Agricultural Livelihoods in Agro-Ecological Regions I and II in Zambia (SCRALA) Project funded by the Green Climate Fund.
Southern Province Principal Agricultural Officer Paul Nyambe says the Savings Groups have an estimated value of 1,100,000 in loans that have since been loaned to members of the Savings Groups.
Mr. Nyambe said the total savings currently in the coffers and loans given out to members across the 16 districts in Savings Groups are at K2,230,000.
Mr. Nyambe was speaking when he officially opened a four days training for Savings Groups transitioning to Savings and Credit Cooperative Societies drawn from Namwala, Siavonga, and Chirundu in Monze.
And Monze District Agricultural Coordinator Aubrey Chanda has implored the participants to tap in the opportunities made available by the New Dawn Administration to foster development in their areas.
The World Food Programme has been using the Savings for Change methodology to promote local resource mobilization and investment to enhance ownership of the development process.
The 16 SCRALA operational districts in the Country are Mambwe, Nyimba, Chongwe, Luangwa, Chirundu, Rufunsa, Chama, and Mafinga.
Others are Kazungula, Siavonga, Gwembe, Namwala, Shangombo, Senanga, Sesheke and Mulobezi.
The SCRALA Project operates in 5 Provinces namely Southern, Eastern, Muchinga, Western, and Lusaka.
A coalition mobilized by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), involving the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and World Food Programme (WFP) are working to end hunger and poverty in the 16 district project areas.
