Savings

It is clear to see that people here live hand to mouth, and few people have extra money saved for when some kind of emergency occurs. A member of the family gets sick, and they don’t have money for treatment. They have to travel to the burial of a relative and they don’t have money for transport. They need to make repairs to their houses and don’t have the funds to buy materials. The list goes on and on and the needs are great.

In order to enable our workers address some of these issues, we have a savings program that they can choose to participate in. It is a very simple system that makes a huge difference for people. If they want to get involved, we put aside a pre-determined amount from their salary in an envelope and keep it for them until they need it. The men are amazed at how their savings add up and they are able to use that money for a variety of things. Some have bought livestock with their money which further increases their family income; some have made improvements to their houses and many have been able to pay emergency medical or travel expenses with their own money.

Last week, I was fortunate to see firsthand how this savings program empowers our workers. The rest of my team was away for a few days, so I was the sole muzungu on site; therefore I was the one the workers came to with questions or issues (this is not my normal role—usually they go to Paul or Karl.) One of the landscapers approached me along with another worker who acted as translator and told me that the other man needed money to go to a clinic to have some stitches removed. Apparently, the man had been robbed and the thieves had slashed his arm in the process leaving a gash all the way down the inside of his forearm. The wound had healed enough that they stitches could be taken out. They told me that he had savings with us and he would pay me back once Karl (who had his envelope) was back. I happily gave him the 10 000 shillings (about $5) knowing that he was good for it.

The next day he came to my door to pay me back. The look of pride on his face as he handed me the money really touched me. He seemed so happy to be able to pay his debt so promptly. In a place where people often ask us for money or have to borrow money from relatives or friends, it was so encouraging to see someone who was able to afford to pay for medical care with his own money. It’s just another example of how a small action can make such a huge difference for people. Merely putting aside a few dollars a month of their own money allows these men to improve their lives in significant ways.

a 10 000 Uganda shilling note, worth about five dollars