When Veronica joined the Ujirani Mwema (Good Neighbours) Village Savings and Loans Association (VSLA), she was a widow facing the uncertainties of raising her son alone.
Her husband had passed away suddenly in December 2021, leaving her without financial security. By 2023, she found herself struggling to provide food and shelter. Yet within her community, a quiet movement of change was already taking place through a Tearfund supported VSLA facilitated by the Diocese of Central Tanganyika (DCT). Neighbours were saving together, lending to one another, and building a better future.
At first, Veronica worried she would not have enough income to contribute each week. She soon learned what many others in her VSLA had discovered: consistent small steps create stability. With courage, she began saving. Her first loan of 200,000 Tanzanian shillings (about $110 CAD) allowed her to purchase food and farming supplies. She planted crops and sold a portion to repay the loan.
Her second loan of 300,000 TZS (about $165 CAD) helped her expand even further. Each repayment brought her closer to confidence and resilience. In September 2024, she reached another milestone through the annual share-out, when VSLA members collect their savings and earnings. Veronica received 600,000 TZS (about $330 CAD), giving her the resources she needed most: the ability to build a safe home.
With her share-out and income from farming, she completed construction on a modest house. It became a tangible sign of security for her son. “Now I have hope and peace,” she shared. “I can sleep at night knowing my son and I have a place to stay.”
Her VSLA has become more than a financial system. It is a source of encouragement, friendship, and accountability. Members check on one another, pray together, and walk with each other through challenges. Veronica has not only rebuilt her life, she has become a reminder that dignity grows when a community stands together.
Today, Veronica is expanding her farming work and planning for her son’s education. “My hope is for him to study and have opportunities I did not,” she says. By contributing weekly and supporting other members, she is passing on the encouragement she once received.
Through VSLAs supported by partners like DCT, families are finding pathways out of poverty using the resources they already have. Women gain confidence, neighbours build trust, and entire communities grow stronger.
