The Iceland-supported project will expand community-based savings and credit opportunities for women, young people and persons with disabilities across five districts.
The Women’s Advocacy and Agricultural Development Organization (WAADO) has launched an initiative designed to strengthen financial inclusion, promote economic self-reliance and improve livelihood opportunities for women, young people and persons with disabilities in five districts of Sierra Leone.
The project, titled Strengthen Economic Resilience and Leadership of Women, Youth and People with Special Needs, was launched at the Western Area Rural District Council hall on Monday, 12 October 2026, with support from the Embassy of Iceland.
Its implementation will cover Kambia, Port Loko, Western Area Rural, Moyamba and Bonthe districts, with a focus on establishing new Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs) and revitalising existing groups.
VSLAs are community-managed financial arrangements through which members make regular savings contributions to a common fund and access loans under collectively agreed rules. By mobilising resources at community level, the groups can provide an alternative source of small-scale credit for individuals who face barriers to formal financial services.
The initiative seeks to strengthen participants’ capacity to accumulate savings, finance income-generating activities and manage household expenditure, while reducing their dependence on external lending institutions.
Speaking at the launch, WAADO Executive Director Doris Webber said the organisation would collaborate with communities to validate existing savings groups and revive those that had become inactive or were no longer functioning effectively.
She said savings boxes would be provided to facilitate the management of members’ contributions and improve access to accumulated funds.
The initiative comes against a backdrop of widespread reliance on community-based savings mechanisms. A national assessment published by the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) in October 2026 examined 1,020 savings groups across Sierra Leone’s 16 districts. VSLAs accounted for 63.2% of the groups assessed, while approximately 74% of all groups were located in rural areas.
These findings underscore the significance of community savings structures within the country’s financial inclusion landscape. However, their effectiveness depends on sound governance, transparent financial administration, adequate savings mobilisation and reliable loan repayment.
Representing the Ministry of Gender, Foday Mohamed Sesay welcomed the initiative and pledged technical support, including measures to strengthen protection against gender-based violence.
He also emphasised the importance of constructive communication between spouses on financial decisions, noting the need to minimise domestic disagreements arising from household financial commitments.
Humu Turay, representing FAWA, encouraged women to strengthen collective solidarity, assert their rights and use the initiative to improve their economic circumstances and expand their businesses. She also highlighted the importance of responsible financial management in sustaining the confidence of project sponsors.
The management of members’ contributions emerged as a key concern during the launch, with representatives of Legal Aid and the police stressing the need for transparency, accountability and protection against financial misconduct.
A Legal Aid representative identified as Mr Sesay urged participants to remain alert to suspected fraud and encouraged women to assume leadership roles within the savings associations. He said Legal Aid could provide assistance in cases involving alleged human rights violations or suspected fraud.
Emma Kamara, a police officer representing Kissy Police Post, said the police had received complaints involving loan disputes and disagreements between women and their husbands.
She called for transparent financial practices, responsible borrowing and the proper management of members’ contributions.
The emphasis on accountability reflects a central challenge facing community-based lending arrangements: maintaining members’ confidence while ensuring that loans are administered fairly and financial disputes are addressed through clear procedures.
The initiative also seeks to address barriers that may prevent persons with disabilities from participating fully in community-based economic programmes.
Alie Sesay, president of persons with disabilities in Western Area Rural District, called for equitable access to the project and urged organisers to consider applicants’ individual circumstances and repayment capacity when determining loan amounts.
WAADO has established a target of at least 5% representation of persons with disabilities in newly formed and revived savings groups. The organisation also intends to promote accessible meeting venues and appropriate facilitation to support meaningful participation.
The project’s inclusion commitments will require more than numerical representation. Their effectiveness will depend on whether persons with disabilities can participate in decision-making, access financial opportunities on equitable terms and assume leadership positions within the groups.
Beyond establishing and reviving savings associations, the initiative aims to strengthen household economic resilience, advance women’s leadership and broaden livelihood opportunities for young people and persons with disabilities.
Its longer-term effectiveness will depend on the capacity of participating groups to maintain transparent records, enforce agreed lending rules, manage repayment risks and sustain operations after external project support ends.
Ultimately, the initiative’s impact will be determined not simply by the number of groups established, but by whether members achieve sustained improvements in savings, access to credit, business activity and economic security.
