Iringa Hope visits 2012: A New Start At Itungi

This morning we took a drive down the road towards Dar Es Salaam. When we got to the other side of Ilula we turned right onto a dirt road and drove to the top of a hill. This is where Itungi is. It is a very pretty setting with a relatively new church. The pastor greeted us and (surprise) asked us in for tea!

We were here today to talk about the group trying to start a SACCOS. Apparently they have been meeting and talking about this for the past four years. The group started out fairly large (maybe 100 at one time) but has shrunk down to about 30 now. Itiweni was here last fall doing some training. She gave two classes to the leaders and gave them some work to do. They were to meet with her with the needed information and forms in November (they did not come), then December (they did not come), then January. Our meeting today was to discover the reason why and to chart a course for the future.

We visited with the pastor for awhile about the difficulties the community is having in getting a SACCOS started. When we finished our tea and our discussion with the pastor there were several villagers waiting to talk to us; a group consisting of 9 women and 7 men. There is a CVP (Companion Village Plot) at Itungi and the villagers need more capital to follow the CVP farming methods. Several of them comment that they do not have enough capital to plant and no one will lend them money. One woman told me that she can get a loan in town for 1 or 2 months at 5% - but she needs to have 6 months for her crop, a comment we have heard before.

As we talked to the group their problems became clearer. They started meeting four years ago after they found an old constitution. They had heard that this was a way to get capital for their farms and desperately wanted to have a SACCOS. Unfortunately they did not understand the way a SACCOS works and the constitution that they had contained many errors.

They elected officers, collected entrance fees and share prices (about $13 each) and waited for their leaders to get things working. The leaders collected these funds but did not understand what to do next. After almost 3 years we learned of their difficulties and Itiweni went to teach them what they needed to know. By this time, however, the leaders were discouraged and did not pay attention. As a result they never followed through on any of the things that Itiweni asked them to do.

We recognized that this group needs new leaders. We encouraged them to elect a combination of women and men to leadership positions. We have noticed time and again that when women have a significant presence in the leadership of a SACCOS things get done and the SACCOS works! (Sorry guys – but that is the way it is here. Probably the women are more interested in how the family is supported – just a guess because I really don’t know!)

We discussed the importance of savings, working together in the SACCOS, how loans work, etc. We made arrangements to visit them on Sunday the 11^th of March when we will bring along a new constitution for their approval. We plan to give them instructions on understanding the constitution and the election of officers. We will also make arrangements for the new leaders to attend the training sessions this month!

Everyone seemed excited – but we will see when we come back on the 11^th. We told them to listen to Itiweni and Tom on radio Furaha on Thursday when they talk about “Giving and Saving.” (We are giving a series of talks on the benefits of SACCOS, savings, giving, and what it means to work in a coop.)

After the meeting we went to see the CVP plot. It’s a long drive through the brush – but we made it! Sandy ventured across the muddy field, but Itiweni stayed in the car. Her comment: “I have been to so many CVP plots already and my shoes aren’t good for this.”

Back in Iringa we had a meeting with the regional cooperative officer with the purpose of working together on SACCOS issues. Oh well, it is not 6:30 yet!