Fifty women from seven zones around Gizo have undertaken a loan component training last week in preparation to manage and administer their loan component.
The women are members of the Gizo Environment Livelihood Conservation Association (GELCA) and Nusatuva Environment Conservation and Development Association (NECDA) who have established their savings club late last year.
The training was part of the their Financial Inclusive Initiative that aimed at strengthening women’s economic power in handling and managing their own finances.
“The training targets the seven zone committee members, which include zone presidents, their vice, treasurers, secretaries and money counters.
“The training is purposely to train women on how to do recording of loan amount if any financial member in the saving club apply for a loan,” facilitator Salome Topo said.
Ms Topo said the training enabled women to learn about how to administer and use different financial forms like withdrawal forms, Will Declaration forms and loan fund application forms.
She said it is important to train the women to prepare in advance to have a background knowledge on what they would expect when they apply for loans in the next month.
Adding it will help them understand why it is important to make correct and timely recording of all transactions that are taking place with whatever income generating activities they undergo.
Ms Topo said this training is vital for the women because at the end of the day they are the ones who will be administering their own finances.
The training follows the launch and celebration of their Savings Club a week ago.
Meanwhile Ms Topo thanked Dr Alice Pollard who has offered her time to help facilitate the training for the women.
Dr Pollard has over the years been a very influential and instrumental in the fight for women’s economic empowerment.
She has founded the Rokotanikeni Savings club for west Are’Are women and now is assisting the Gizo women in going about their savings club.
By Daniel Namosuaia
