Seed capital provided to our VICOBA groups to support economic empowerment for women

​This quarter, two Women’s Right and Leadership Forums received seed capital to start their own VICOBA (village community banking)  with support of African Initiatives and UKAID. The villages of Oloipiri in Ngorongoro and Terrat in Simanjiro were the recipients this quarter, making a total of 8 forums across the northern Tanzania landscape. Each group of 24 women received a total of 5 million shillings. 
 
Namayan Abraham has lived in Terat most of her life. She is a mother to eleven children and too many grandchildren to count. 

When the Women’s Rights and Leadership Forum (WRLF) was started in her village 5 years ago, she was one of 24 women elected to represent all the women in the village. Namayan currently serves as the chairperson of the forum. The WRLF meets once a month to discuss issues facing women in the community. The WRLF acts as a safe and secure platform for women to share and problem solve. Their VICOBA program meets every Tuesday. The micro-loans obtained through the VICOBA help women obtain the capital they need to start small businesses and earn a stable income. 
 
Namayan shared “Thanks to the trainings provided by UCRT, all of us understand our rights. Members are encouraged to disseminate the information we receive in trainings to the rest of our community. I am confident know to tell young girls they don’t have to get married and that they can go to school.”
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