ASCA Savings Meet My Children's Needs

Wahana Visi Indonesia Area Program Touna, Central Sulawesi Province, started the Accumulating Saving & Credit Association (ASCA) program in Urundaka Village in 2017, with 11 members. ASCA is an alternative model for a low-income household to have saving and credit activities. One ofthe active members is Salma.  Salma felt ASCA's activities helped her in saving money, because as long as she was saving money at home but the money in her jar was always in use for everything.

Salma is a housewife who has 2 children. Salma’s daily routine is helping her husband in the cornfield. Salma also used to be a farm labor in her village when someone needed her to harvest or plant the corn.

At first Salma did not get support from her husband. Her husband said, "Where did the money go all this time, I often gave money from climbing the coconut tree but I never see what she has been bought"

Salma told her husband,  she did not use the money but she saved it in ASCA. Her husband also asked about ASCA. Salma explained that ASCA is a simple saving place which has a box, 3 locks and 3 key holder locks that can make it safe for saving. The members of ASCA Urundaka are 11 people accompanied by WVI.

Salma's husband finally supported her and his coconut climbing’s income was given to Salma to save in ASCA. Salma always bought 5 shares ASCA every Tuesday in a week. Salma was delighted with ASCA programme and accompanied by Wahana Visi Indonesia. Now, they have savings for their children's future.

In December 2017 ASCA Urundaka held the first cycle of annual member meeting (Rapat Anggota Tahunan/RAT). After calculating the distribution of RAT, Salma has gotten the result of her savings of approximately IDR 2.000.000,-

The money was spent on his children's schooling and deposited at Bank of Central Sulawesi (Bank SULTENG). That amount managed to make her husband more encouraging his wife to save in ASCA. Finally, her husband also wanted to become a member of ASCA  in the second cycle.

Written by Sudarman S., Field Facilitator of Wahana Visi Indonesia, Area Program Touna (Tojo Una Una)