15/07/2026
Building Financial Independence, One Savings Cycle at a Time
For many families, financial struggles are not just about money, they are about difficult choices: paying school fees, keeping a roof over their heads, growing a small business, and creating a better future for their children.
Through its Village Savings and Loan Association (VSLA) programme, the Jamil and Nyanga Jaward Foundation (JNJF) is helping communities turn small savings into opportunities, confidence, and hope.
The Foundation recently concluded its VSLA programme with closeout events held in Crab–town and Old Wharf communities, celebrating members who came together to save, support one another, and invest in their families and livelihoods.
In Crab–town, 39 participants collectively saved NLe 53,042, with Yabom Wara Turay emerging as the highest saver after saving NLe 2,600. In Old Wharf, members recorded total savings of NLe 54,000, with Aminata Sesay making the highest individual contribution of NLe 2,500.
But the true success of VSLA is not only found in the numbers. It is seen in the lives changed in members who can now access loans, respond to emergencies, and invest in their dreams.
For Christiana Bell, the programme created an opportunity to access loans that helped her pay school fees, cover rent, and strengthen her business.
Through VSLA, JNJF is helping communities discover the power of collective action, showing that when people have the tools to save and support one another, they can build stronger, more resilient futures.