Paulinus Kasuwa, a beneficiary of Oxfam’s Pro-resilience action project aimed at improving livelihoods and food security in Guyuk community, Adamawa State Nigeria has benefited from Oxfam’s Village Savings and Loans Scheme and set up a thriving business in her community.
“I was not doing anything, I usually depended on my husband. On my own, I could not source any single kobo because I was not doing anything. I had to wait for my husband to give me ten naira, twenty naira for this and that. That’s how I used to live. I could not even help my siblings when they called for help.
A member of the community who is a beneficiary of the program and belongs to a Village Savings and Loans Association came to me and give me some awareness. We decided to form a group in our neighbourhood.
Before Oxfam’s intervention, my siblings used to request help to be trained in school but I could not do anything on my own. The VSLA has helped me a lot. As a result of my membership in Oxfam’s VSLA, I collected a loan, and started selling wrappers, and soap to women in my community. The last wrappers I sold were about thirty-three pieces. The money I get from the sales helps me a lot. I am the first born of my family and also a mother of two. I now help my husband and my mum because my dad is late. I also have siblings in the university.
With the help of VSLA by Oxfam, I now pay my daughters school fees. . My husband was very happy when I showed him the receipt of the fees I paid for our daughter. I can now also send money to my siblings in the university to take care of their fees and provisions.