This meant long periods away from his home and his wife. Being someone with a penchant for beer, he spent more and more time in villages where he could find work and buy his traditional beer, while at home there was no food or beer. This caused many arguments and much suffering.
Food and beer
But it all changed in 2011 when Njikichi joined the Tanganda Cluster Village Savings Group, is supported by the USAID through the Zimbabwe Agricultural Income and Employment Development (Zim-AIED).
The group in ward four in Chipinge West constituency in Manicaland province has 73 group members from the villages of Musami and Tanganda.
Njikichi has managed to rebuild her homestead and provide groceries and beer for her husband. “We now have a happy married life and a happy family.
When money is available, there is less stress in a home. My husband is now back home and spending more time with me because we now have a better life,” she said.
“Using the money from my savings, I am now able to spare a few dollars for my husband to drink his beer at home. He enjoys home cooked meals because we now have meat to eat. We now wear good clothes,” Njikichi added.
Kudakwashe Sigobohla, the co-ordinator of the savings group, explained that people organised themselves into groups and made regular saving deposits into a communal village bank, with no external resources or capital provided.
Lump sums
The collective money is loaned out to members on an individual basis, allowing participants to use lump sums as capital to invest in small business enterprises, buy seeds or purchase food and other household needs. Loans are repaid to the group at an agreed interest rate, allowing members to earn interest on their savings,” said Sigobohla
As a fellow contributor, Eugenia Marevendi received two loans over the last year and a half. Her first loan of $480 covered the cost of poultry for her income-generating business. The second loan of $450 was used to expand her business by building more fowl runs and buying feed.
“I initially bought 100 chickens. Now I have more than 500 chickens and I am supplying individuals, restaurants, schools and churches,” she said. “My life has indeed changed. I am now able to feed my family and send them to school. I have bought uniforms and books for my children and they now earn respect at their school because of that,” she said.
Business is good
Emurai Mutsvari had no savings prior to joining the group and was considered to be one of the poorest in her community. In 2012 she took some of her family’s limited earnings and invested it in the savings group after hearing from others of its benefits. “During my first six months, I saved about $150. These initial earnings were enough to buy iron sheets to roof my house and buy a few other household items. During 2013, I saved $400 and I started my cross-border trading business,” said Mutsvari.
“One of the most important things I gained is time, because now I do not have to do casual labour. In fact, my savings allow me to develop new sources of income. I have opened a shop at Tanganda Business Centre and business is good,” she said.
Steady income
Mutsvari believes her businesses will continue to provide her with a steady income as she continues to grow them, allowing her to better provide for her family.
Ward four councillor Godfrey Makuyana, who works closely with the group, says morale is high. “It seems like a miracle. Many of the members could not have dreamt of saving a few dollars, much less starting their own small business or expanding them. Now many members of the group have managed to invest in their future,” said Makuyana.
Besides the saving scheme, the group has formed a burial society into which members pay a monthly subscriptions of $5 per family. This covers the funeral costs of their members.
Post published in: News