Leveraging the VSL Concept for Agriculture/ Nutrition Outcomes Leveraging the VSL concept for agriculture/nutrition outcomes

What is the VSL Concept? S VSL (Village Savings and Loans) groups provide a mechanism for rural households to save money and receive credit in a transparent, structured and self-managed environment within their community.

Resource Persons Save the Children-Mozambique Inacio Jossitala- Food for the Hungry- Mozambique Alloys Omolo Save the Children-Malawi John Nyirenda

Session Question Can the VSL concept be leveraged to meet MYAP agriculture and nutritional outcomes?

Why is it important within MYAP’s ?

Group Work Resource persons will stand in a corner of the room and present their approach to the VSL question Question and answer exchange between both the presenters and members in each group Groups will rotate through each corner

The Way Forward As the 2012 MYAP VSL program is starting shortly how will you engage groups to identify priority interventions that can be financed through their VSL? How can TOPS support you strategically throughout 2012 with this new VSL initiative?

Community led financing? Best practice principles for VICOBA / VSLA ht/docs/Working%20group%20VICOBA%20- %20VSLA%20Good%20Practice%20Principles%20D CM%20workshop%20addis.pdf ht/docs/Working%20group%20VICOBA%20- %20VSLA%20Good%20Practice%20Principles%20D CM%20workshop%20addis.pdf

Let’s look at potential interventions in each part of the chain that can be address through short term financing inputs: Loans 1.seeds/ planting material (cuttings) tree seedlings, agro- inputs fertilizer, hand tools, etc. (sell/buy), 2.harvest (paying for extra labor) processing fee to add value, 3.storage to add value, 4. transport to add value instead of farm gate, community buyer of product) All of those can be done within the existing framework of loans within most VSL charters. For savings, they can be used for the collective purchase of a big ticket equipment item the group needs to add value to their product.