DreamSave: Digital Savings Empower Women in Mahamba, Eswatini
When World Vision introduced the women of Mahamba Piggery to DreamSave, few imagined how much it would change their lives, thinking it was just another application in the fast-paced digital world. For years, the group had struggled to keep accurate financial records, a barrier that made it nearly impossible for them to access formal financial services.
“Before DreamSave, we used to write everything down in notebooks,” recalls Nonhlanhla Kunene, one of the group members. “Sometimes, records got lost or figures didn’t add up, and that made it hard for us to show how we were managing our money.”
DreamSave, a digital savings and record-keeping app supported by World Vision, simplified the way the group tracked their savings, loans, and income. For the first time, Mahamba Piggery had clear, credible financial records.
Through World Vision’s partnership with Imbita Women’s Finance Trust, a local microfinance institution, the group was able to access a loan of E12,000 ($694). Each member had the opportunity to borrow individually. Nonhlanhla took E2,000 ($115) to expand her small sewing business.
“I used the money to buy more fabric so I could keep up with orders,” she explains. “I sell my clothes through Facebook and, before the loan, I would sometimes run out of material and lose customers.”
Nonhlanhla sews clothes, pillows, and bags, among other handmade items. The investment paid off. Her monthly earnings rose from E3,000 to E6,000, doubling her income and allowing her to better support her family. With the extra income, Nonhlanhla can now take care of her children’s needs, including supporting one of them who is studying at university.
“My sewing business helps me pay for my children’s needs,” she says proudly.
“I’m especially happy that I can support my daughter who is in university.”
The group successfully repaid their loan to Imbita, an achievement that has now earned them another opportunity. They have been invited to apply for a larger loan of E50,000 in 2026. Nonhlanhla already knows how she wants to use her next share.
“I want to borrow E7,000 to buy a cow and start a small feedlot,” she says with a smile. “DreamSave has taught us how to manage money wisely and plan for the future.”
For women like Nonhlanhla, this innovation goes beyond technology, it represents financial inclusion, empowerment, and the chance to dream bigger.
“Before, we didn’t think we could ever qualify for a loan,” she says.
Through tools like DreamSave and partnerships that connect communities to finance, World Vision Eswatini continues to open doors for women entrepreneurs, turning savings groups into thriving small businesses — and dreams into lasting change.