22/09/2025
UPDATES ON FAUNA & FLORA IMPLEMENTATION OF VILLAGE SAVINGS AND LOANS ASSOCIATIONS (VSLA) ACTIVITIES IN NORTH WEST -LIBERIA
Village Savings and Loan Association (VSLA) is a community-based financial approach that promotes savings, access to low interest loans, and rudimentary training in Business Development Skills (BDS).
Fauna & Flora Liberia through a Conservation International and Global Environment Facility (CI-GEF) funded Food Systems Land Use and Restoration (FOLUR) project titled “Reducing Deforestation from Palm Oil and Cocoa Value Chains in Liberia” is implementing the VSLA approach in northwest Liberia.
Through this project, Fauna & Flora has established 21 VSLAs; 10 in 2024 and 11 in 2025.
As per the VSLA methodology, each cycle is supposed to last for 9-12 months (52weeks). As a result, all the ten VSLAs established in 2024 were due to end and conduct their share out/ action audit in September 2025.
Together with partners, government, county Stakeholders and the communities, Fauna & Flora facilitated the action audit for the ten VSLAs located across Wologizi-Wonegizi Proposed Protected Areas (PPAs) communities including Zanglota, Gbalakplasu, Duogomai, Kotie’s Village, Wobeyamai, Karzah, Sekemai and John’s Town (in Wologizi communities) and Tusu and Bulor (in Wonegizi communities) from 12th -15th September 2025. The total membership of the 10 VSLAs included 297 ( 222 females & 75 males) beneficiaries.
Total amount raised by the 10 VSLA groups in savings (shares, fines and social fund) was Eleven Million, Eight Nine Thousand, Eight Hundred and Thirty-Five Liberian Dollars (LRD$11,089,835), but considering the VSLA methodology individual share, cumulated interest and fines were distributed/shared to all the members as requires by action audit and protocols.
The highest amount shared by the most contributing VSLA was 1,480, 500 LRD and the least was 668,320 LRD. A starter grant of $500.00 USD provided to each VSLA by donors was not shared in the interest of sustainability and enhancing the continuation of the VSLA activities.
The key focus of the action audit was to conduct a review of the group’s financial activity, good governance practices, sort out grievances for resolution, and to disburse savings to each member. VSLAs across the ten communities promised and pledged to continue their activities and also encourage other community members to form more VSLAs.
The VSLAs are also appealing to partners, government and donors to support in upscaling their activities for more members in their communities and other communities as well.
In the interest of promoting wider community impact of the activities, the Tusu VSLA members all agreed and donated all their interests to the community clinic by purchasing assorted and approved drugs for the benefit of everyone as revolving drugs for the community clinic.
They are also appealing to partners, government and donors to support this initiative ant the up-scaling of their VSLA activities, and other developmental initiatives in the landscape.
Some photos from the VSLA Action Audit:
