CONTRIBUTION OF VILLAGE SAVINGS AND LOANS ASSOCIATIONS ON THE LIVELIHOOD OF WOMEN IN THE WA MUNICIPALITY OF THE UPPER WEST REGION OF GHANA

Abstract

VSLA aims to provide financial assistance to its beneficiaries. Despite the intervention of VSLA, the incidence of poverty and poverty gap in the Upper West region is about 70.7%. The main aim of this study was to examine the contribution of Village Savings and Loans Association (VSLA) on the livelihoods of women in the Wa municipality of the Upper West Region. The study employed the social relation theory. The design for the study was mixed method. The study used questionnaire, observation and Focus Group Discussion to obtain data from beneficiary women groups and interviews from officials of Youth Advocate on Rights and Opportunities (YARO) and Plan Ghana. In all, 280 respondents {members) including four key informants were selected through purposive and simple random sampling techniques. The data were analysed with the aid of descriptive statistics and transcription and interpretation. Findings of the study indicate that though the VSLA programme is faced with some challenges like lateness to meetings and absenteeism, it has largely empowered women socially within the Wa municipality. It was found out that some of the women are now able to participate in communal decision making. Economically, beneficiaries have invested their loans in farming and petty trading. Some of the programme challenges revealed by the women were inability to pay loans on schedule, lateness to meetings, absenteeism and others. The study concluded that, the intervention put in place by the VSLAs to sustain the livelihood of women has largely been achieved. The study among other things recommended that Barclays Bank should allocate more funds and train these women on skills development The programme should be extended to cover all communities in Ghana.