mci.ei.columbia.eduMillennium Cities Initiative

Search for: Menu About Team Partners Millennium Development Goals Research & Publications Population Data Bamako Population Data Blantyre Population Data Kisumu Population Data Kumasi Population Data Louga Population Data Mekelle Population Data Segou Population Data MDG-Based Needs Assessments Education Needs Assessments Gender Needs Assessments Health Needs Assessments Water and Sanitation Needs Assessments MDG-Based Household Surveys Other Social Sector Research Urban Planning and Design Research Investment Guides, Handbook and Profiles Investment Working Paper Series MCI Working Papers Series on Investment KPMG Investment Reports for the Millennium Cities UNIDO Reports on Investment Opportunities in the Millennium Cities Millennium Cities Accra, Ghana Background, Objectives & Methodology MCI Research on Accra Student Research on Accra Additional Research on Accra Bibliography Akure, Nigeria Akure Research Bamako, Mali Bamako Population Data Bamako Research Blantyre, Malawi Blantyre Maps Blantyre Research Kaduna, Nigeria Kaduna Research Kisumu, Kenya Kisumu Maps Kisumu Research Kumasi, Ghana Kumasi Maps Kumasi Research Louga, Senegal Louga Population Data Louga Research Mekelle, Ethiopia Mekelle Maps Mekelle Research Segou, Mali Segou Population Data Segou Research Tabora, Tanzania Tabora Research Initiatives Education and Gender Equality Early Childhood Education Girls' Clubs, Boys' Clubs & Mothers' Clubs S2S Connectivity S2S Partnerships Women's & Girls' Centers Health Neonatal health Maternal Health Urban Community Health Workers Training, Donations & Interventions Urban Ecosystems Urban Planning Urban Design Environment, Development, Rights & the Law Community Development Private Sector Development Regional Partnership to Promote Trade & Investment Resources for Promoting Private Sector Development Tools, Techniques and Resources for Investment Promotion Bamboo Bikes Project News & Media News Archived News Media Coverage Bylined Articles Case Studies Videos Blog < > Publications MCI-Kisumu: A Final Report Bantama Market Clinic: Infographic Featuring Key Highlights from the Report Bantama Market Clinic Report MCI Blog A Sustainable Strategy to Deal with Urban Poverty MCI’s Signature S2S Program Kicks Off its Third Year with a Series of Trainings Millennium City and Millennium Village Students ‘Stand Up for Girls’ on International Day of the Girl MCI News MCI Releases Final Publication Accra Report: Networks and Knowledge for Community Resilience-Building in Ghana’s Capital Ayawaso Sub-Metro Education Infrastructure Report Director’s Report A Season of Progress: MCI Director's Report September 2014 City Dispatch: Kisumu, Kenya The Power of Group Savings: Manyatta’s GS&L Program Proves Beneficial MCI-Kisumu’s Group Savings & Loan (GS&L) program in the informal settlement of Manyatta was remarkably successful, with eight groups comprising 123 participants, all of whom participated since the program’s inception in December 2013. At each weekly meeting, members were required to purchase 1-10 “shares” at a price set by the group. The savings were kept in a loan fund from which members could borrow up to three times their individual savings, as loans they then repaid at a monthly rate also set by the group. Each group maintained a “social fund,” as a safety net which enabled group members to cover emergency needs and costs. At the end of the program’s third quarter, participants saved a cumulative KES 1,128,905.00 (USD13,767), with loans totaling a remarkable KES 1,103,893.00 ($13,462), more than four times their reported cumulative savings (KES 258,900, or roughly USD3,000) at the end of the first quarter. At year’s end in 2014, the accumulated savings and the loan profits were “shared out,” or distributed back to members. MCI introduced, financed and organized training for this program and fostered engagement and enthusiasm among participants and other community stakeholders, particularly for the use of mobile phones in recording data (“e-recording”) and making secure bank deposits. The Manyatta GS&L program had a powerful influence on participants by rendering financial services accessible – for many group members, for the first time. Beneficiaries cited significant anticipated gains in their household incomes and made use of loans to expand their own businesses and provide for their families. Having demonstrated its advantages for participants and the community as a whole, MCI-Kisumu’s GS&L program will continue in Manyatta after MCI’s close– signaling a powerful program, indeed. City Dispatch: Accra, Ghana Streetlights Installed in Nima East, Responding to Girls’ Forum In 2014, MCI helped facilitate a forum for girls in the Nima-Maamobi East neighborhood of Accra, Ghana, moderated by MCI partner, Volunteers in Community Empowerment, or VOiCE. Participants discussed issues of concern in their community, and proposed, among other things, that streetlights be installed to improve nighttime safety. In October 2014, MCI-Accra Project Manager Joe Melara and our VOiCE colleagues helped install 20 community streetlights in Nima East, after touring the neighborhood together with the local Accra Metropolitan Assemblyman to determine where they should be placed. We are confident that the lights will contribute to residents’ improved sense of security, making it easier for girls and women to return home from school and work after dark. Also in October 2014, with MCI’s support, VOiCE hosted a three-day ICT Training seminar for 20 Nima-Maamobi young women between the ages of 15 and 20, during which they learned the basics of word processing, typing, Internet browsing and creating PowerPoint presentations. At the end of the seminar, the girls received certificates of completion from Accra’s National Vocational Training Institute. This website uses cookies as well as similar tools and technologies to understand visitors' experiences. By continuing to use this website, you consent to Columbia University's usage of cookies and similar technologies, in accordance with the Columbia University Website Cookie Notice . Close...