Country: Kenya Source: Action Against Hunger Financial Empowerment Through Village Savings and Loans Associations (VSLAs)Shinda Yussuf beams with excitement as she reveals that she has saved 960 Kenyan shillings (about $7.40) so far. For women like Shinda living in the remote pastoral community of Malkada Village, this is a major accomplishment. Strict gender roles make it so that women rarely have money of their own. However, this is started to change due to the Habsa Farm Village Savings and Loans Association (VSLA).The 18-member VSLA is a powerful tool for improving financial resilience in her community. Members contribute flexible amounts to a savings fund, take small loans as needed, and build insurance against emergencies. Every week, members of Shinda’s VSLA have the opportunity to purchase shares for Ksh100 each, contributing to a savings fund. They also contribute Ksh20 per month to a social fund. Garbatulla Sub-County Gender and Social Development Officer Jumale Agah explains, “This fund is used to help members in case of an emergency; for example, if a member falls sick. The social fund money is given to the member without a requirement to repay it.”For Shinda, whose name means “win” in Swahili, joining the VSLA was a life-changing experience. Her community does not have access to financial institutions, so having a way to safely store her money provided her with a newfound level of financial security. The journey to establishing a VSLA, however, was not an easy one. The community had to band together to overcome enormous obstacles and revolutionize their way of life.Building Resilience with Climate-Smart FarmingTo participate in the VSLA, Shinda first needed an income. For a time, that seemed impossible. Not only did gender norms stand in her way, but the entire community was facing dwindling financial opportunities. Her community was pastoral, raising livestock and migrating regularly to fresh pastures, but climate change was wreaking havoc on their livelihoods. Droughts and floods became increasingly frequent, devastating livestock and leaving Shinda’s community without sustenance. Malnutrition, especially among children and women, rose sharply.In 2018, the community realized they had to make a change, and they decided to try farming. There was some success, but severe weather threatened crops, making growing difficult. To support the community’s transition to agriculture, Action Against Hunger, funded by the UBS Foundation, partnered with the Isiolo County Government’s Department of Agriculture to implement a climate-smart agriculture project. The initiative aimed to improve access to fresh produce with sustainable solutions that addressed Malkada’s pressing need for food security, dietary diversity, and livelihood diversification.Action Against Hunger provided training on crop growing techniques like pest management, rotational farming, and drought resistant crop selection. Climate-smart farming methods were also introduced to combat the effects of drought. In the next harvest, the Hubsa Farm yielded over 1,300 pounds of tomatoes and 220 pounds of onions. The farmers used the harvest to feed their families, and the surplus was sold for a profit of about Ksh60,000 ($463.32).Action Against Hunger also supported the development of a Women’s Group, where women could share information about farming and nutrition. As they made more from the farm, the group was elevated into the Habsa Village Savings and Loans Association, which enabled Shinda to start saving for the first time in her life. The women wrote a constitution of rules for members to follow, and they continued to develop their financial literacy skills. And after only three months, the group had already saved a total of Ksh17,320 (133.75).Nutrition Breakthroughs: Fighting Malnutrition with Homegrown ProduceWario Huka Jaldesa, fondly known as “Mwalimu” (“teacher” in Swahili), took a leading role in recruiting mothers to the project. “I mobilized the mothers who breastfeeding or had malnutrition cases in their families, and we engaged in horticulture farming,” said Huka. These women were sought out because their participation could yield the greatest results in combatting malnutrition. Children under five and women who are pregnant or breastfeeding are most vulnerable to malnutrition, and mothers who acquire farming skills and financial empowerment improve the health of their entire family.Pastoralist mainly eat meat, so the women had a lot to learn about growing vegetables and the benefits of diet diversity. “We had to change the idea that livestock alone was a sufficient food source; we let them know they also need vegetables and grains from farming to prevent malnutrition,” says Waqo Nura Galma, Ward Agriculture Extension Officer, County Government of Isiolo. They achieved diet diversity by planting a wide variety of produce grown on the Habsa Farm, such as:sukuma wiki (kale)spinachonionstomatoessweet potatoespeppers.“They are now seeing the benefits of farming; first, as provision of food for their household, and second, as a source of income when they sell produce,” Janet observes. Shinda, as mother to an 18-month-old child, feels relieved to see the health of children in her community improve with the growth of the Habsa Farm. “Before, there were children on nutrition supplements like Plumpy’Nut [a Ready-To-Use Therapeutic Food],” she says. “Now that we have our own vegetables, malnutrition has reduced, and the children are healthy.”Shifting Gender Norms: Women at the Forefront of Economic ProgressImproving women’s economic empowerment in Kenya is essential. Women who participate in financial decision-making for their families both produce and earn more. They also reinvest as much as 90% of their income back into their families, helping to improve health, nutrition, and more. The World Bank reported in 2024 that there was a 38% pay gap between men and women in Kenya, stating, “societal norms that encourage early marriage and parenting for girls amplify these inequalities, limiting their access to education and steering them into less lucrative economic opportunities, stressing the need for multifaceted strategies to address these ingrained barriers.” Greater inclusion of women in agriculture and VSLAs can be a critical step toward narrowing this gap and fostering long-term, community-wide development.Jumale, who is in charge of VSLAs in the area, noticed a significant difference in the community. “Gender roles have been evolving since the introduction of VSLA. Men, who used to be sole decision makers of every household, have learned that including women in financial decisions improves the income of the family,” says Jumale. Men were also empowered with knowledge on food and nutrition. They have started to join conversations about food groups and go grocery shopping with a nutrition-informed approach. Jumale says, “Men can now go to the market and buy different food groups. They know which food group an onion or rice belongs to. Before it was only women.”Looking Ahead: A Sustainable Future for Isiolo’s Women and FamiliesWomen of the Habsa Farm and VSLA now take active roles in as financial decision makers with the power of the VSLA. Shinda, for example, has set a goal of earning Ksh5,000 ($38.61). “When it reaches Ksh5000, I will be able to take a loan and do other businesses,” she said. Janet Muema adds, “Action Against Hunger encourages them to continue saving so that there is availability of loans for emergencies, or in case somebody wants to start a business or pay fees. Some of the women have children in high school, and they can take loans to pay for tuition.”Shinda Bulugu, a mother and member of the VSLA, expressed that the program had a significant positive impact on her family’s diet and income. Her shop now features vegetables from the group farm, ensuring a steady supply for Malkadaka residents.Janet Muema highlights the project’s role in transforming both nutrition and financial stability for women. Through climate-smart farming, women are not only feeding their families healthier meals but also selling surplus produce and saving collectively, unlocking a new level of financial independence. This autonomy allows them to make informed decisions that align with their families’ priorities. Malkadaka Village now stands as a symbol of resilience in the face of climate change and deeply rooted gender norms. The women of the Hubsa VSLA are not just participants—they are leaders and agents of lasting change.