Before 2017, Chanlina lived a tough life, as she struggled to make ends meet, working odd jobs in cashew and rubber plantations. Chanlina looked for advice with a local village elder, who pointed her towards a village savings bank (VSB) that worked with Cufa. When she joined up, Cufa worked with her and others in her village to develop their entrepreneurial and financial management skills, opening her up to the importance of saving.
Now she has been able to set up a micro-enterprise as a grocer in the local market, borrowing money from her VSB to buy her business’s initial expenses. After several successful years, she now generates around USD 300 monthly, which she either saves or uses to support her husband, who has a disability.
She is now committed to saving, with her diligently putting away 24 USD each month, budgeting for treatments for her husband. Whatever she has leftover after her budgeting and mandatory saving, she saves as well.
For Chanlina, her microenterprise and the support from her village savings bank means she has been able to create stability in her and her family’s life. It has freed her from being constantly worried about her next payment and allowed her to plan for the future.
“I would like to thank Cufa for supporting and training my village savings bank and teaching me the fundamentals to set up my microenterprise. The money my village savings bank saves together is not only to support myself, but it’s there to make everyone in the community prosperous. I am very to be a member of this group” – Chanlina.
