Wananchi Sacco change the lives of savers in Nyeri and beyond

By Malachi Motano

“.…….through Wananchi Sacco, I bought a dairy cow and over the years I have become the owner of a dairy cooperative …….. From being a member of Wananchi Sacco, I have two motorbikes…… I have also built a permanent house thanks to Wananchi Sacco…….. Wananchi Sacco has provided us with outstanding opportunity to build savings, earn interest, have access to training and capacity building, business networking and mentoring…..,”confession by different beneficiaries during a case-study by Sacco Times Magazine.

members education within our vicinity and just as a by the way I attended only to be empowered financially.”

He then opted to join Wananchi Sacco, saved for less than a year and secured his first loan. “After saving for six months I applied for my first loan and with guidance from the Sacco staff, I secured Ksh. 80,000 and bought a dairy cow. After servicing the loan promptly, there was a need for tap water. I then got another loan of Kshs. 80,000 which I used to buy a tank and water pipes as you can see over there.”

Meet Felix Ngatia Macharia. He is a proud owner of Mutemi dairy cooperative in Kamakwa, Nyeri County courtesy of Wananchi Sacco.

“I joined Wananchi Sacco in 2003. Before then, I was a Chairman of another dairy cooperative where members used to take their milk; they get paid either by cash or bank cheque. I got challenged when I asked myself how I can be a ‘whole’ Chairman without his

Wananchi Sacco Chairman Geofrey Kagondu with the Agriculture CS Mwangi Kiunjuri with other government officials during the recent ASK show at Kabiruini ground.

own cows to produce milk to the cooperative,” he begins his story.

Macharia did not have enough money at hand to buy a dairy cow but thanks to Wananchi Sacco for conducting members’ education in the area which opened a new chapter in his life.

“I was aware of the existence of many Saccos here in Nyeri and even beyond but did not understand how one could benefit from them. One day Wananchi Sacco was conducting With continued empowerment by his Sacco (Wananchi Sacco) Macharia managed to mobilize dairy farmers and started a Mutemi dairy cooperative which currently has over fifty registered members, who came together and with increased milk production he had to look for the means of supply to the market.

“I went again to Wananchi Sacco and secured a loan of Ksh 105,000 to buy a motorbike. This would help me in supplying the milk to the dairy. Currently, I am in the process of purchasing a Probox car, which can extend milk supply services even to my neighbours. The list of all achievements I have made since I joined Wananchi Sacco is very long. I even bought a power-saw from the Sacco loans. I am a life member of Wananchi Sacco and ask those willing to join a Sacco not to waste time looking for one since Wananchi is here to grow together with them.

George Gichui is a Bodaboda taxi rider. He has two motorbikes and a permanent house. He attributes all the success to Wananchi Sacco, to which he joined in 2013.

“I was initially working as a Shamba boy (a gardener) for a primary school head teacher by the name Joseph Waigwa within my locality. The head teacher was also in the milk business and once in a while I could hear him talk of milk supply as a challenge even though I paid very little interest to him.”

As the famous adorn-age goes, ‘Birds of the same feathers flock together’ so was the case of Gichui and his friend.

“I also had a colleague whom we worked together as Shamba boys. One day we were thinking of how to improve our financial status to better our life. In short, he is the one who introduced me to Wananchi Sacco and since then, life has never been the same again.”

He says everyday he could save Kshs 200, Ksh, 300 or even Kshs 1,000. “I saved for about one year up to Ksh 20,000, applied for loan and bought a motorbike.

Wananchi Sacco Chaka branch where the new product is being rolled out on a pilot basis.

I could hover between being shamba boy and transport service provider to the farmers. I even offered transport services to Mr. Waigwa (the headmaster who had employed me).”

“I can say that from Wananchi loans, I have moved from a hut to a permanent house. I also have two motorbikes which I use to ferry milk to the dairy, I am paying school fees to my children, and at some point I bought a Tuktuk (a Try circle) and life has moved on.”

According to Geoffrey Kagondu, the Chairman of Wananchi Sacco, Savings and credit cooperative societies remain the saving grace especially to people in the informal employments.

Recognising that members education is key, he says the Sacco continues to participate in a number of activities such as Wambugu farmers training college field days, tea and coffee field days, milk and dairy factories meetings in order to publicize and market their Sacco by letting participants know of what products the Sacco offers.

Micro-savers

Wananchi Sacco is also introducing a new product dubbed Soko Booster meant for small and micro- entrepreneurs (the Mama Mboga, hawkers, shop owners) just to re-stock their shops with a pilot face in Chaka town.

“Here at Chaka we have two market days and so a shop owner may want to restock a head of the market day but doesn’t

Mr. Ngatia (left) presents his loan records to the Wananchi Sacco Nyeri team during the cas study by Sacco Times Magazine.

Mrs Gichui poses with the assistant BDMM next to her poultry an initiative that came about with sacco saving.

have enough money. These are people who may need only Kshs 1,000, 2,000 or 5,000 shillings to stock up their business. Once you qualify, we can give the amount you request, ask you to pay weekly.

The repayment period is one month. Once you open an account with us, the minimum deposit is Ksh 500,” says Peter Mwariri, Chaka branch Business Development Officer and also one of the brains behind that development.

The Gichui’s Familly pose for a photo to show how they moved from their old hut into amodernpermanent house courtesy of Wananchi Sacco.

He says the product is also meant to introduce the culture of savings in the area. “We are just about three weeks since we started but once we learn of the potential savers, we can graduate them to normal saving (Kshs 2,000 booster loan to Kshs 20,000 normal loan). We want to help them inculcate the culture of savings and grow their potential.”

The loan products at Wananchi Sacco include, Development loans, School fees(for tea and non-tea farmers) loan, Tea advances, Salary (Mshahara loan), Pension loan, Coffee (Kahawa)advance, Emergency

advance, Short term loans, Business loans, Milk loan, Milk advance, Group loan, Youth enterprise development fund, Women enterprise fund, Vijana loan, LPO financing, Asset financing and Horticulture advance

The Sacco also has micro-leasing products that include Wananchi vifaa loan, Kilimo biashara loan and Kilimo Maziwa while the saving products are Akiba jipange savings acount, Fixed deposit, Toto junior, Starehe and Investment accounts

Wananchi Sacco started in 1992 with only tea growers in Nyeri as members, it has expanded over the years with branches not only in Nyeri county but also in Nyandarua and Nakuru Counties, reaching other sectors like dairy, women activities, youth and other farm business entrepreneurial services.

“Competition, technological changes and availability of information have made us undertake strategic steps to ensure that we remain relevant to the community we are serving,” says the Chairman

Summary

When Wananchi Sacco started in 1992 the members were only tea growers in Nyeri but due to changes in environment and growth challenges together with the members’ needs, Wananchi Sacco expanded to other sectors like dairy, women activities, youth and other off farm business entrepreneurial services.

Competition, technological changes and availability of information have made us undertake strategic steps to ensure that we remain relevant to the community we are serving.

Furthermore the areas of our operation have since 2007 changed to the whole republic of Kenya so as to serve all Kenyans with our peculiar member based financial services. We are therefore authorized to operate in the whole republic of Kenya.

Wananchi Sacco draws its membership and members from the Small-scales farmers and micro-entrepreneurs who contribute savings in form of Shares and Deposits as well as the Front-Office Services. Through the Savings, the members are able to access credit facilities and other available services conveniently and cheaply.

Our outreach to other parts of the country will be gradual and strategic as depicted in our previous growth and expansion and it is also depicted in details in our 2010 - 2014 Strategic Plan. Our growth strategy will continue to be vertical and horizontal and we embrace the changing environment in our country in politics, economic, social and technological advancement.

From an intern Doctor, a Dental Surgeon owns high-grade Clinic - KMA Sacco

By Apudo Were

Meet Dr. Vitalice Ogola. He owns one of the best dental clinic at the lakeside city (Kisumu) which he attributes its existance and growth to saving with a Sacco that belongs to to medics- Kenya medical association (KMA) Sacco. He shares his success journey with Sacco Times Magazine. loan to expand the facility and buy four other dental chairs and other dental equipment.” He adds.

Dr. Ogola’s dental practice now boasts of 15 employees to date, and his plans to grow, not just the practice and expand his business ideas and creating more employment are not yet over.

Further investment

Doctor Ogola Joined the KMA Sacco in 2011, immediately after graduating from The University of Nairobi with a degree in Dental Surgery.

“I was a Dental intern at the Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) during that time when I became one of KMA Sacco’s active members. I have been consistently saving with KMA Sacco ever since my internship up to now,”He says.

According to the Dentist, the Sacco has been in his every step of development track record both at persona level and in his career progression as a dental practitioner.

“My dental practice, Royal Dental Clinic started from humble beginning. Immediately after I finished my internship, I acquired my first development loan of one million Kenya Shillings to start a dental practice in Kisumu in 2012.” Said Dr. Ogola.

He confesses that since then, with the loans from KMA Sacco, his medical , practice has grown from strength to strength, one day after the other, as he has continued to take more loans for development. Dr. Vitalice Ogola. Without putting all his eggs in one basket, Doctor Ogola is embracing diversification and with the Sacco loans, he chose to try other new ventures and from the dental ward, into the kitchen.

“KMA Sacco has helped me also to start a hotel in Kisumu called Dover Hotel just through a swift development loan. I have 10 employees currently and I will definitely expand it in the near future.” He says.

He advises his fellow doctors not to wait until it is too late to start having a saving mentality and culture.

Dr. Vitalice Ogola and the staff at Royal Dental Clinic pose for agroup photo. “I call on my fellow doctors to start saving as early as during their internship so as to pull up funds to start businesses and later expand the facilities with no struggle. Borrowing from my own personal experience, “I highly recommend doctors to invest in KMA Sacco and those who have not joined should have joined like like yesterday,” he says.

“I later applied for another development loan soon after the first one helped me to acquire two dental chairs and expand the clinic and again after a year, I applied for another development The Dentist believes that his success story through KMA Sacco is a true testament to what a saving culture and an accessible credit facility can do to transform one’s career and personal growth.