Microfinance and Project Developments in Uganda

By

Jacob Waiswa
Dishma Inc.
P.O. Box 8885, Kampala-Uganda
www.situationhealthanalysis.blogspot.com
dishma.imhs@gmail.com
waiswajacobo@yahoo.co.uk


St. Balikudembe Savings and Credit Cooperative Society (Owino Saaco) is one of the very many cooperative companies spread around the country –and masterminded by government in 2006 –to empower economically marginalized Ugandans. And it is one of the most promising government-founded savings and credit cooperative societies in Kampala Sub-region.

St. Balikudembe branch started operating in 2007 from its first home in Nakivubo trading area to offer market vender-tailored services, like sending out field officers to collect savings from client stalls rather than them (clients) walking to company offices, its strategic location within market premises –and the practice of giving business-friendly loans.

It set out to strengthen existing businesses and support enterprise initiatives by opening up to the business community in its area of operation. They did so through purchase of shares. It was stipulated that minimum amount of shares a member bought were five (5) costing five thousand shillings only (5,000/-) while no limit was put on maximum amount one wished to take.

It was at the time clients needed to borrow that members were required to hike shares held from 5,000/= to 30,000/= Uganda Shillings. This helped to increase loan repayment security. In that respect, low income earners were encouraged to save or raise membership fees in bits or small amounts they could afford such that, at end of the day, they took full rights and benefits of their membership while clients with shares expected dividends at the end of the year.

To completely secure membership to sacco, basically, clients had to pay 16,000/- where 10,000/- was charged to open an account, 5,000/- in payment for the minimum shares a client ought to have –and 1,000/- as charge for passbook or account book. From there, one began the run to self-driven economic liberation –as at that time they qualified to receive loans depending on the amount saved while amount of shares remained constant at 30,000/-. If for example a member had 75,000/- in savings, he or she was eligible to access a loan of 300,000/=; 125,000/- = 500,000/-; 250,000/- =1,000,000/-; and the limit amount of money they could borrow was 2,000,000/-. Before 2006, there was very little knowledge about saccos: their intentions, operations, management (efficiency and effectiveness, financial trust, safety and insurance).

Going into it them opened doors for one to learn about management issues of saccos, role descriptions and executions, working in a busy market environment, general organization structure, general history of saccos in Uganda, customer-relations, client training and recruitment of new ones. That, of course, had its challenges, like the taunting history of saccos –involving a series of them in the same area (Owino). In fact, stories of that nature were widespread; not only in Owino but all over Uganda.

Interestingly, however, government-founded saccos (GFSs) had financial and social security safeguards better than small privately individual own saccos. Not all did represent the truthfulness of a sacco. While saccos stood for ownership by members, in their operations, it was something different –personal business.

Unlike privately-owned saccos, GFSs enabled access to loans in the friendliest manner, flexible pay back, based its decisions to lend money on membership fees and amount of money accumulated and by sought signatures of at least three (3) people; one of them, a fellow member to the sacco and others; a market zone leader, and a local government leader in the area of residency. That facilitated a healthy and trustworthy relationship between sacco management and clients. But in both, the client had to have some kind of security –in possession of a business stall, immediate asset (as collateral security) or belonging to a responsible group of five (5) people.

In attempting to build confidence in would-be clients during sensitization, it was critical to clearly state such advantages as the possibility to save or repay loans in amounts they could afford and to expect a monthly bank charge of 1,000/= cheaper than the system of instituting percentage charges basing amount saved and withdrawn (e.g. 20,000/= charge on 40,000/=, 40,000 charge on 80,000/=). This would indeed promote poverty rather than fight it.

But, also, the advantage that GFSs were not individual properties that single owners will one day walk-away with –along with client money compared to private ones –simply because they were entities owned by members with shares and savings in it. Hopefully with constant yet close supervisions of sacco affairs, St. Balikudembe Sacco will turn out to be the safe-haven of everyone wishing to improve his or her economic life.

However, there was need to build effort and expertise needed to increase client-base for or membership of St. Balikudembe Savings and Credit Cooperative Society. On top of that; understand business environment, study company history and operation system, identify key staff support units (or officers) –and gain experience at working in as busy areas as Owino or St. Balikudembe market.

Approaches adopted were; client-based services that involved engaging clients –right from their work area –a kind of mobile office, exploit areas with already existing members as these acted as role-models, role clarity and avoid unnecessary mix with work unpaid for or meant for other staff, plan for my field work everyday –to include right content and presentation style done in after a small meeting before setting off, evaluate day's work and record planned actions for the next day's field mission, daily short message service, time table for work changed from 9 am to 10am of the less busy days to 11am and above for busier ones and enough time was given for rain to down-pour and flood entire work area until it stopped and drained out –and pass on information to the understanding of would be clients and questions were well answered and, where more information was needed, consultation was always the last nail in the coffin of the matter.

To understand the business environment, a lot of questions were raised for the old staff who readily answered all to the best of their knowledge. They covered the geography of Owino sacco, existing branches elsewhere, timing to return after several financial scandals, management composition, busiest days of the week, legal requirements, weather concern when working in the open, working days of the week, and tactics best known to them applicable to winning clients.

Marketing documents (catalogs and brochures) were read for the right information to present to prospecting clients –giving name and location of the company, its legal status, composition of management, clientele base, requirements to join, safety issues -and streamlined share-holder benefits. Armed with such information, it was helpful to build confidence in self before prospecting clients during one on one or one on five presentations or training.

A system of operation was developed –where in case of any gap during presentation time, right people to consult were available. These included the project manager, vice-chairperson of the board –and enthusiastic staff members with experience at working in the same environment for over a year. The same units acted as reinforcements to concretize information already passed-on to the satisfaction of the prospecting or harder-to-persuade prospecting members. And once recruited, they were referred to right people –with whom to keep in reach or expect to see collecting their savings right in places where they worked, or at their stalls.

It had been understood during staff orientations that the purpose of any dynamic youthful staff working, having got the opportunity to prove one's role-skills, knowledge and abilities was to excel and register tangible results. And at the end of the work tenure one could transfer experience to a higher position or another job for individual and social progress.

It was evident that as time went on, confidence rose so high that work became fun. Communicating company position and making every effort to persuade prospecting clients more over in a vast, very busy and noisy market area was more clear and comprehensible well enough to prompt a yes response. Some of the achievements were: reached 200 people where in three zones; 150 showed commitment and willingness to join, only 25 showed up but only 5 were confirmed to be active members; pledges to join remained a dream of the staff (field officers); and sacco management reported increment in membership to a tune of seven million per week in collections from those who saved with it (from Monday to Sunday).

Like in any undertaking St. Balikudembe did not go without challenges –moreover hard-biting ones:

To Clients
• Too poor to save and to affords collateral security –which turned sacco into a club of the haves rather than the don’t haves –escalating the rich-poor divide.
• Lost confidence in saccos and preferred bigger banks. Clients had negative experience with other microfinance institutions that operated in the area. It was reported that client money ranging from 20,000/- to 10,000,000/- was swindled so victims opted for other banks and decided never to join area cooperative society.
• Sacco demanded a lot to qualify clients to receive loans. Dividends were not given either.
• Hated mixing market politics with sacco management affairs –to which market executives were part –moreover most of them had been cited in scandals. In addition, was understood as a project of the ruling party –which prospecting members of other political parties would not join.
• They did not have sufficient training, or information about the sacco. Publicity was inadequate as at no time did venders' voice advertise sacco services.
• They were insecure about future changes in management and safety of their money as well as possible change of government –since government had a stake in sacco.

To Management
• Increased competition from private saccos and big banks.
• Failed to organize annual general meeting since 2007.
• Limited number of staff and inability to meet staffing costs.
• Role ambiguity to fill staffing gaps.
• Repayment follow-up was difficult to sustain to dictate staff payment.
• No living wage for staff who were required to meet the requirements of client full membership and saving strength to 50% level of confidence before 2000/= pay per convincing client entered.
• Long distances to the place of work
• Unreliable commission pays to field officers
• Lack support services like breakfast chefs as this wasted staff time when they took time to prepare own breakfast.
• Inactive members of the board.

Opportunities:
St. Balikudembe Sacco can be leading GFS in Uganda –emplyment between 15 to 30 employees in the next 10 years. But that could be possible only if the management ensured a child- loving mother relationship with it.

Way forward:
• Introduce living wage for staff alongside commission received.
• Reduce interest rates from 20% to 16% to increase comparative advantages over other microfinance companies.
• Employ cook or introduce breakfast at the kitchen place so that staff do not add that to already busy days.
• Make possible for people who want on-spot loans to get them.
• Emphasize role clarity so that each staff (or member of the management team) knows and understands his or her work.
• Provide field gadgets as umbrellas.

In conclusion:
The future is bright for St. Balikudembe Sacco if only can trigger some changes in the management and operations. Otherwise, it was interesting experience to discover and develop this report.