At bottom of pecking order in nation rife with poverty

Date Published: 03-May-2012

A rural crossroads in South East Africa seems like an unlikely place for a financial meeting. Yet, the women sitting on the ground in Northern Malawi, passing their babies around between them, while chickens and dogs wander alongside, are here to discuss finance – and to improve each other’s lives.

They are part of a project called Self-help which is being administered in Northern Malawi by an Irish-led organisation.

The St John of God service in the Northern Malawi city of Mzuzu was established by Brother Aidan Clohessy 19 years ago to care for people who have problems with mental health. It also caters for children with special needs. These are humans who are at the bottom of the pecking order in a country where almost half of the 15 million population is below the poverty line.

Part of the St John of God brief is to ensure that people remain healthy, explains Br Aidan – so it made sense to get involved in the Self-help project, which aims to lift the poorest women and their families out of poverty in a country where the average life expectancy is less than 50 years.

The Self-help model, which originated in India, works with women who are on the bottom of the poverty ladder, giving them autonomy by encouraging them to save and take out small loans.

St John of God provides a facilitator for the scheme, but the women are in charge.

“Women have been oppressed but, despite that, they have a commitment to the family,” says Br Aidan, explaining that this is a hugely patriarchal region. Self-help is working to change that.

Its format is astoundingly simple, as was demonstrated by the group at this country crossroads. The women sat in a circle, with three large enamel bowls between them. One was for savings, the other for loan repayments and the third for a community fund, to help families in times of need.

As each woman’s name was called out, she responded by calling out the amount she was saving that week, followed by her contribution to the community fund and, finally, any loan repayments she was making.

When all the money was collected, those members of the group who wanted loans, made their pitch and the cash was redistributed. The idea is to keep it circulating to benefit members, either by supporting their business plans or helping to clothe and educate their kids until the harvest comes in. The group agrees on the interest rate and the time frame for loan repayments.

Each group has a moderator and a bookkeeper, who keep meticulous records of all transactions. These roles are rotated to ensure there’s no corruption. It’s very professional, but there’s a social aspect to it as well.

Self-help came to Mzuzu 2010 and by last year had 40 groups with 742 members. As the women become aware of their strength, they have begun to lobby politicians for better health and education. One group recently forced the local council, to close a massive dump, located beside where they lived – many kids weren’t going to school, because they spent their days foraging there.

Brother Aidan was sceptical about Self-help initially, thinking its strict guidelines might not be adhered to. But, he says, it is a major success, with several women having set up businesses baking, selling fish, selling bricks or opening small, roadside shops.

At present the women’s groups are appointing representatives to the next level, known as clusters, with a view to gaining greater independence.

“It’s about letting them decide what works for them, rather than driving them,” Br Aidan says.

As Self-help groups form into clusters, they have begun to work with another Irish charity based in Mzuzu. Wells for Zoë provides villages with clean water and promotes education in a region where it is often neglected. It was set up by Roscommon man John and his Mayo born wife Mary Coyne, who fell in love with Malawi on their first visit seven years ago. The couple have strong Galway links, having spent their summer holidays in Moycullen, where they owned a hosue, for many years.

For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.