Initiatives for Sustainable Socio-Economic Development
ISSED

The skills that make income stick

Civic, Business and Financial Literacy

Entrepreneurship, financial management and leadership skills that help households turn earnings into savings, credit and lasting economic independence.

Higher income does not automatically mean greater security. Money that arrives in one lump at harvest and is gone by December leaves a household exactly where it started.

ISSED delivers practical financial and business training that helps people hold on to what they earn, and gives them access to credit on terms that do not trap them.

What participants learn

  • Saving and lending in groups — establishing and strengthening village savings and loan associations (VSLAs) that communities run themselves.
  • Business and financial management — costing, pricing, record keeping and separating household money from business money.
  • Entrepreneurship — identifying a viable enterprise and planning it before capital is committed.
  • Leadership skills that carry into community structures beyond the savings group.

VSLAs matter disproportionately here. They create a source of credit that is locally owned, locally governed, and still functioning long after a project cycle ends.

How we measure it

Objectives and indicators

5 Objective 5

Promote economic independence through entrepreneurship, business and financial literacy training.

Expected outcome

Community members increase and diversify income through economic activities.

Indicators

  • Number of community members trained in financial and business literacy
  • Number of savings and loan groups (VSLAs) established or strengthened
  • Percentage of participants reporting increased savings or access to credit

Verified through: Training records, VSLA registers, follow-up surveys

Related

Recent updates

All news