Email: [email protected]
Northern Ghana, faces a range of socio-economic challenges. With a growing youth population, unemployment and lack of access to formal financial services have contributed to poverty, migration, and social instability. Many young people in rural areas are excluded from formal banking systems due to factors such as lack of collateral, low income, and remote locations. This limits their ability to invest in income-generating activities, particularly in agriculture, trade, and small enterprises. The economy in Northern Ghana is heavily dependent on rain-fed agriculture, which is vulnerable to climate change and seasonal variations. This has exacerbated the economic vulnerability of young people, particularly those involved in subsistence farming. LINK Ghana acknowledges the important role of youth especially women in the agricultural sector particularly in the soybeans, groundnuts, maize, rice and cowpea value chain. In addition, women play a very important role in the shea value chain which provides income for most rural and urban women. In response to these challenges, establishing Youth Village Savings and Loan Associations (YVSLAs) offers a promising approach to improving financial inclusion, building resilience, and empowering young people to engage in sustainable livelihoods.
LINK Ghana in enhancing women and youth resilience adopts the Youth Village Savings and Loan Associations (YVSLAs) where persons within the ages of 15 – 35 years are facilitated to form VSLA. YVSLAs are community-based financial groups that enable members to save money, access small loans, and create a financial safety net. The youth-specific VSLAs (YVSLAs) target young people, allowing them to pool savings, invest in entrepreneurial ventures, and build a sense of financial independence.
The project has the following objectives:
Region | District |
Northern Region | Gushiegu, Karaga, Mion, Yendi, Nanton and Sagnarigu |
Upper East R | Bawku Municipal, Bawku West, Garu and Tempane |
1. Profile and facilitate the formation of 300 Youth Village Savings and Loans Associations with a membership of 10,500 (90% women)
2. Train 10,500 youth and women from 500 YVSLAs on financial literacy and business skills
3. Facilitate 10,500 YVSLAs linkages and business relation with formal financial institutions and other business services providers (crop insurance companies, financial digital platforms and other key service providers)
4. Mentoring and coaching of 300 YVSLAs.
Within the first year of the project, the project has achieved the following key results;
180 Youth VSLAs Formed: a total of 180 functional YVSLAs with a total of 6,300 (85% women) members have been formed.
a total of 180 functional YVSLAs with a total of 6,300 (85% women) members have been formed.
6,300 (85% women) youth and women from 180 YVSLAs financial and business skills increased through mentoring and training on financial literacy and business skills.
6,300 (85% women) business relations and skills enhanced through formal financial institutional linkages.
LINK Ghana is a non-governmental organization on the mission to eradicate poverty by overcoming the injustice and inequity that cause it.
This will be achieved by working with the poor and marginalized people and their households and communities by igniting their inner potentials to champion their own development
P.O. Box TL 2122, Tamale, Northern Region, Ghana
Zagyuri, Adjacent School of Hygiene – Tamale.
Tel: +233 50 661 6719 / +233 37 209 5668
E-Mail: [email protected]
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