What began as a simple savings group has grown into a thriving livelihood initiative that is transforming the lives of refugee families in Palorinya Refugee Settlement.
Ngun Gwon Koyi Home Learning Centre Village Savings and Loan Association (HLC VSLA) was formed in 2023 in Keguru Village, Obongi District, following a community sensitisation meeting conducted by LABE Programme Officers. Sixty parents whose children attend the LABE-supported Ngun Gwon Koyi HLC came together to establish the savings group, with a shared goal of improving their household livelihoods while supporting their children’s early learning.
In 2024, the group participated in a financial literacy and micro-enterprise training organised by LABE. More than just teaching business skills, the training challenged members to rethink their attitudes towards saving, investing, and planning for the future.
One VSLA member recalls:
“The training started by changing our mindset. We began to see savings not just as money to keep, but as capital that could grow our families’ income.“
Armed with new knowledge in financial management, poultry production, group visioning, and enterprise development, the members decided to invest their savings in poultry farming. They started with 35 Sasso chickens. As the business grew, they reinvested their profits, purchasing an additional 30 birds before expanding further to 120 Sasso chickens.
The impact has extended well beyond the group enterprise. Inspired by the training and increased confidence in entrepreneurship, some of the group members have started their own poultry businesses at home using part of their VSLA savings. Today, the group’s Chairperson, Mr Alumai Amos Yoke, owns 20 birds, the Treasurer manages 25 birds, and many other members have established similar household enterprises, creating new and sustainable sources of income for their families.
Multiplication: Members of Ngun Gwon Koyi HLC VSLA attend to their growing flock of Sasso chickens, an enterprise built from their collective savings and strengthened through financial literacy and micro-enterprise training.
As the poultry enterprise continues to grow, so do opportunities to access larger markets, strengthening the group’s financial resilience and improving household well-being.
Reflecting on the journey, the group’s Chairperson expressed his appreciation:
“We really appreciate LABE for opening our minds. The knowledge we received is a treasure to us. It has changed how we think about saving, investing, and building a better future for our families.”
For the members of Ngun Gwon Koyi HLC VSLA, the biggest change is not the number of chickens they now own. It is the confidence to invest, plan for the future, and see entrepreneurship as a pathway to improving their families’ lives.
Read more about LABE’s VSLA + approach here.