How small savings spark big change for women in Kenya

Under the shade of an acacia tree in Katilu in Kenya’s Turkana County, a group of women sit in a circle, their ledgers open and coins neatly stacked. Among them is Naeku, treasurer of the Apiaro Women Group. As she counts the week’s savings, her face lights up – the group has finally saved enough to buy new farm tools.

A year ago, Naeku and 16 other women could barely feed their families – access to banks or credit was out of reach. According to the 2022 Women’s Economic Empowerment Index in Kenya, only 6.3 % of women in Turkana had access to economic resources and opportunities, skills development, financial services, market information, property and other productive assets compared to 36.3 % nationally. Many people in Northern Kenya lack education or even a mobile phone. Nationwide, financial inclusion stands at 84.8 %. In Turkana, only 65.9 % of people access formal financial services.

Through the Village Savings and Loan Association (VSLA) model supported by World Renew, a US-based Christian charity organisation, these women began to change that story. Each week, members save small amounts – sometimes as little as $ 0.50. The pooled funds are loaned out to start businesses, plant crops or pay school fees. Across Kenya, 85 % of VSLA members are women, many in remote counties like Turkana, where large parts of the population lack access to formal banking services.

The Apiaro Women Group used their savings to plant maize on one acre, harvesting over a thousand kilogrammes of seed maize worth more than $ 1000. Their profits now fund small shops and water vending, while every member contributes to a shared welfare fund for emergencies.

Nearby, the Kaekamuto Youth Group is preparing its first tomato harvest, grown with certified seeds and farm inputs provided through the same programme. “Before this, we had no capital to start anything,” says one member. “Now, we plan together, invest together, and know we can stand on our own.”

These groups show how saving circles are quietly transforming lives in Turkana – one meeting, one contribution, one harvest at a time. Beyond the cash, women and youth are learning bookkeeping, leadership and financial literacy. As the Turkana County Deputy Director of Gender, Mollen Onderi, observed, “through VSLAs, youth and women are gaining digital and financial management skills that improve accuracy and accountability”.

Now, the change is already visible. Members who once depended on aid now run micro-businesses, pay school fees and support each other through droughts and loss. The discipline of saving together builds both economic resilience and social trust – a rare currency in regions long scarred by poverty and conflict.

In Katilu, Naeku closes the meeting by locking the metal savings box. Around her, the women laugh and plan the next planting season. What began as a few coins in a shared tin has become something far greater – a foundation for resilience and self-reliance.

Jacob Opara is a research and development consultant in Kenya.
skombucha@gmail.com