COMMUNITY STORY · 1 MAY 2020
Saving Together Strengthens Women in Rekero
For Paranae Parmuat and other women in Rekero village, collective saving created a source of support when the COVID-19 crisis disrupted household incomes.
Paranae is a member of the Rekero Community Managed Savings Group. During a Basecamp Foundation Kenya relief outreach, she welcomed the team and described the pressure families were experiencing after small businesses closed and heavy rains made access to markets more difficult.
“Many of us were struggling to put food on the table because the pandemic affected our sources of income.”
Against this difficult backdrop, the savings group remained an important community resource. Members could access loans to meet education costs and invest in existing businesses. Paranae urged the women to continue saving as a practical step towards improving their living standards.
At the time of the story, she reported that 216 women in Rekero were participating in savings and loan activities. Their experience illustrates how community-managed financial structures can strengthen solidarity and resilience during a crisis.
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Collective Saving Builds Resilience
Community Managed Savings Groups connect financial learning with locally governed access to capital.
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