Maternal and Child Survival Programme - Mothers Savings and Loans Club Technical Brief

The program involves the formation of women groups, typically between 20 to 25 members, for savings and loans in rural and urban areas. These groups are established through a facilitator who is well-trained to support and facilitate the establishment of the clubs until they mature. The MSLC empowers women to reduce their dependency and inability to access health interventions. The program supports the women to set up funds collection for savings on the basis of regular weekly contributions. These contributions constitute funds for loans for members of the group, a capital of collective savings which increases regularly with small interests. All funds are managed entirely by the women. The program has a strong presence in Zamfara State, Nigeria, where over 163 savings clubs have been established, collecting more than N54,600,000 as of June 2014. Currently, all 16 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in Zamfara State have over 5000 clubs, with funds managed totaling over one billion naira. The MSLC has a set of guiding principles for formation and management of the clubs, including women-only membership, free and voluntary membership, and weekly attendance at meetings. The clubs are also required to have a management committee of about 5 to 6 people, with clear roles and responsibilities. Each group must have its own objectives and name, and members must agree on what to contribute weekly for the main funds and for health emergency funds. The facilitator plays a crucial role in the establishment and management of the clubs. Their responsibilities include forming and nurturing the group to maturity, agreeing with the members on the modality and terms of reference of the club, and ensuring documentation is part of the group's process. The facilitator is also responsible for visiting the clubs weekly for the first 3 months, every other week for the next three months, and once for the next two months. The program requires a range of equipment, including benches or chairs for weekly meetings, boxes and padlocks for contributions, exercise books for record-keeping, and pens and rulers. Community advocacy is also a critical component of the program, involving orientation of community leaders and government officials, preliminary meetings with potential participants, and creating general awareness in the community of the program's purpose, methodology, and process. The program has a structured training module, which includes topics such as choosing the facilitator, advocacy, and membership; working together as women learning together; choosing the management committee; establishing the constitution of the club; conflict resolution; managing contributions, loans, interest, and fines; partnership and collaboration; and modalities for sharing profits and savings. The program also has a set of guiding principles for membership, including voluntary membership, residency in the community, and husband's permission to attend meetings and be members.