At least a total of 20 representatives from 20 Village Saving and Loan Associations-VSLA groups which were selected from the greater Omiya Anyima and greater Orom sub-counties all in Chua East constituency Kitgum district have received a training on digital saving.
The three-days training which started from 20th to 23rd December was lobbied and sponsored by Henry Oryem Okello the state minister for international affair.
Minster Henry Oryem Okello lobbied for this training from Agricultural Business initiative aBi NGO who is currently undertaking nationwide training of VSLA groups on digital saving.
The concept is a pilot project which aim empowering, equipping and enhancing the capacity of the local saving group to shift from analogue methods of saving to digital information and cash saving methods.
Ensibuuko technologies, one of the specialist in training VSLA in digital saving was contracted to train theses selected VSLA leaders who were majorly youth with quick ability to learn how to use digital tool such as smartphone for digital saving.
Thomas Golmor Lokolor, a facilitator form Ensibuuko technologies says if local saving group are empowered to use digital saving tools, their economic status can change because they can easily access loan from commercial bank, among other financial institution.
All the 20 trainees were provided with smartphone to help them shift their group from analogue to digital saving.
Okot Kenneth, Chairperson of Gen-Rwot farmer’s association says the training has empowered him noticing that they were introduced to use digital world which would help them take good record of their saving, loans welfare and attendance of each member in their VSLA and their information and data are store both digitally and in a book as well.
Aparo Regina, another participant, secretary of Konye keni VSLA in Lenga central Orom sub county reveals that their VSLA group have been struggling in keeping their record noticing that sometime record book can get torn hence casing misunderstanding and distrust among the members.
Patrick Jembi, the political assistance to minister Henry Okello Oryem say the initiative is a pilot project which look at how the local VSLA can adopt to digital saving which is mores secures and save compare to that manually saving where sometime individual saving can get affected by omission and errors.
Jembi noted that the intention of the minister is to train up to 500 village saving group in Chua East constituency by February in 2024 under this project.
