October 17 is the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, because more than 800 million people currently live on the equivalent of less than $1.25 a day. But poverty is much more than a lack of income: it is a multidimensional problem that affects the basic capabilities to live in dignity. The purpose of dedicating a World Day to this issue is to mobilize the international community to address the causes and effects of poverty.
As St. Joaquina thought: education is one of the best tools to eradicate poverty in the world and liberate people. That is why today we are sharing the Adakavi microfinance project, carried out at our Kekeli Center in Togo.
In September 2023, some 50 women joined two savings groups and were able to receive loans to increase their income.
This project was created in response to the perceived economic vulnerability of women in the Hanoukopé district, which prevents them from taking good care of their families and especially their children. For this reason, the Kekeli Center, together with its partner Manos Unidas, launched the Adakavi fund to empower women and girls in this neighborhood.
The operation was as follows: two savings groups were set up with the support of the Mr. Gozo Kossivia trainer who accompanied the women, so that they could save funds and benefit from loans to develop their activities or even create other income-generating activities. This was carried out over 12 months, with weekly meetings, during which some of the women saw their monthly income increase thanks to the expansion of their merchandise through the granting of these loans. At the same time, they were able to acquire economic management skills to strengthen their autonomy.
Although the project came to an end in July, the contribution meetings initiated during the project continued, demonstrating the women’s interest and their clear desire to become financially independent.
In September 2024, the culmination of this savings cycle was celebrated at the Kekeli Center with the beneficiaries, in the presence of their trainer, Mr. Gozo Kossivi, and members of the center, to open the fund and distribute the money according to each participant’s contribution. At the end of the meeting, the beneficiaries were very satisfied with the fruits of the project, after a year of intense sacrifice. And, as a gift, all the participants received a basin, an essential kitchen utensil in Africa for any household, as a souvenir to mark this cycle of savings.
The members hope to be able to continue the contributions with the support of the center and its partners, and thus build a support fund that will enable them to borrow slightly larger amounts.