Field story:
Five months ago, VSLA members in villages across Maroodijeex and Awdal were learning how to open a ledger and record a loan. In August, that groundwork paid off: SCAN teams travelled to each village to hand VSLA groups their grant disbursement under the “Building Climate Resilience for Food Security in Somaliland” programme.
In Bali Cabane village, Hargeisa district, group members gather smiling around the SCAN team as a representative receives the group’s grant in front of the programme banner — a moment that marks their VSLA’s transition from a newly formed savings group to one with real capital to grow its internal loan fund. In Awdal region, the scene repeats: an elder VSLA member counts out the notes handed to her by the SCAN field officer, her group’s green “VSLA Saving Box” placed at her feet, ready to hold the funds the group will now manage, lend, and grow together.
The grant disbursement follows months of governance and bookkeeping training these same groups completed — the skills that let them record, track, and account for exactly how this new capital moves through their savings box. For VSLA members in pastoral communities across Somaliland, it’s the point where training turns into tangible resources: money they now own collectively and are equipped to manage responsibly, donated by KOICA, funded by WFP, and disbursed through SCAN.
Project: Building Climate Resilience for Food Security in Somaliland
Donated by: KOICA (Korea International Cooperation Agency)
Funded by: WFP (World Food Programme)
Implemented by: SCAN (Somaliland Community Action Network)
Coverage area: Maroodijeex, Awdal, and Gabiley regions, Somaliland
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