Story by Rita Abiodun, Oxfam in Nigeria's Media and Communications Officer

37-year-old Yalwa Adamu, a mother of eight children from Fanti community, Alkeri Local Government Area, in Bauchi state could not contain her excitement as she shared how involvement with The Village Savings and Loans Association (VLSA) program – a program by Oxfam LINE project is positively impacting her livelihood.

“Joining this Gar ward VLSA group is one of the best things that has happened to me and my family. Besides farming, I also rear goats. For a long time, I have nursed the dream to have a goat farm but I could not get started due to lack of capital to get started until I joined the VSLA group and received a loan from my weekly contribution,” said Yalwa.

The Village Savings and Loans Association (VSLA) is a component of Oxfam’s Livelihoods and Nutritional Empowerment (LINE) program in Bauchi. Funded by Global Affairs Canada (GAC), the program is aimed at encouraging and promoting self-help development and credit aggregation.

As VSLAs, the groups become business-focused, thus making it convenient to do business with off-takers and shifting farmers’ orientation from farming as a subsistence activity to a business venture.

“Yalwa is one of the women who has received a loan from this Gar VLS group. Every week, members of the group contribute one hundred naira each (₦100). We gather the money until we raise a lump sum of fifty thousand naira (₦50,000) and then loan ten thousand naira (₦10,000) each to a batch of five eligible members to start a business,” said Zainab Suleiman, the chairperson of Fanti VSLA group.

“Apart from the loans that our members can have access to, Oxfam is also exposing us to some of their partners who offer services like veterinary, feed supplements, and vaccines for farmers like Yalwa with livestock to ensure that there is no loss at any point,” Zainab Suleiman added.

I don’t feel any pressure when I have to pay back the loan because it’s still through this our weekly contribution. I have to name my goats ‘Oxfam’ to keep myself reminded of how this program is transforming my life and that of my family,” said Yalwa.

“I can picture having multiple goats after these put to birth. When I look at them, I see hope for tomorrow, I see food on the table for my children, I see prosperity,” Yalwa added.