WORLD Vision has successfully conducted a three-day Lesson Learned Workshop for ‘Saving For Transformation (S4T)’ leaders in Buma Village in West Kwara’ae, Malaita Province.
The workshop, which was held on Wednesday to Friday last week, brought together a total of 145 participants representing S4T groups from East and North Malaita.
World Vision S4T facilitator for the Youth and Sustainable Economic Development (YSED) Project,Hermon Maelilia said, the participants comprise both old and new members.
He described the workshop as a refresher training designed to equip leaders, especially newcomers, with essential skills for managing their savings clubs effectively.
The training aimed to ensure participants understand the World Vision S4T model so as to lead, monitor, assess and manage their groups.
Group leaders were encouraged to share insights with other S4T groups to improve the overallfunctioning of their clubs.
Moreover, the training will assist field officers in collecting Management Information System (MIS) data and conducting health diagnostics for project reporting.
Both female and male S4T leaders, particularly those in management committees, are the focus of this training.
The goal is for these leaders to effectively supervise their groups not only during the YSED project’s duration but also to ensure sustainability after its conclusion.
Participants are expected to empower themselves in facilitating savings meetings and coordinating activities, ultimately developing their leadership skills to benefit their communities.
A participant from Kwai in East Malaita who joined the World Vision S4T program six months ago, Mary Agnes shared her transformational experience.
She explained how her involvement in the community savings club has reshaped her approach to managing her family’s income through small home-based businesses.
“With the knowledge gained from World Vision S4T, my family has successfully launched a small bakery and canteen in our village,” Agnes said.
“The S4T initiative has significantly impacted many young people in our community.”
Agnes emphasized the importance of savings, stating,
“The World Vision S4T model has taught me and my family the value of saving and managing small income sources effectively. Despite being in the program for only six months, we’ve already seen its positive impact on our canteen and bakery business.”
The S4T model, introduced by World Vision, encourages community members to create savings clubs where they can deposit money, access small loans, and manage their finances through various funds.
Each member receives a passbook, allowing them to track their savings across different categories, including Producer Groups Funds, Sustainability Funds, Operation Funds, and Sector Funds for social causes, youth, and women.
Typically, each savings group consists of around 25 members, fostering a spirit of collaboration and support among participants.
By SOLOMON LOFANA
Solomon Star, Auki