Implement Digital Savings Group Projects
36 Resources
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Research
Digitizing Savings Groups: Rethinking Financial Inclusion for the Poor
By Latif Amars, Sofie Blakstad & Anaïs Ndjavé
hiveonline
2021
Digitizing Savings Groups: Rethinking Financial Inclusion for the Poor
This white paper, from hiveonline, explores the case for digitizing savings groups. The paper examines the challenges of reaching remote, poor populations and provides a brief introduction to the history, scope, and basic elements of the Village Savings and Loan Association (VSLA) methodology. The paper notes that digitization of savings groups can result in the […]
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Brief
Digital Savings Groups
By Mark Staehle
SEEP Network
2020
Digital Savings Groups
This learning brief examines the design options and essential tradeoffs in solution development based on a survey of 12 digital savings group (DSG) solution providers. The findings are outlined in six sections: 1) Introduction; 2) The benefits of savings groups; 3) User experience; 4) The business of DSGs; 5) Consumer protection, and 6) What will […]
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Tool

Tool
Digital Financial Services
Digitization Benefits
Digitization Planning
Digitization Risks & Barriers
Savings Groups’ Linkages Toolkit
By Hermann Messan et al.
United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF)
2020
Savings Groups’ Linkages Toolkit
This toolkit offers practical guidance to financial service providers (FSP) which are already providing or intend to provide formal financial services, including digital financial services (DFS), to savings groups. Insights and lessons offered in this toolkit are based on the experiences of six FSPs, which are UNCDF’s MicroLead partners in Benin, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Malawi, […]
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Tool
Reaching 50 Million Women with Mobile: A Practical Guide
By Dominica Lindsey
GSMA
2020
Reaching 50 Million Women with Mobile: A Practical Guide
This guide outlines practical steps that mobile operators can take to reach women customers. Drawing on its research and work across Africa, Asia and Latin America over the last decade, GSMA has distilled 10 key recommendations for reaching women with mobile. While consideration of the unique local context is crucial, some overarching themes have emerged. […]
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Article

Article
Overcoming Distance When Digitizing Informal Savings Groups
By Paul Damocha & Anna Ferracuti
UNCDF
2019
Overcoming Distance When Digitizing Informal Savings Groups
This article shares key findings from qualitative research conducted by UNCDF Tanzania and CARE International on the digital financial services (DFS) that are most appropriate for informal savings groups. The authors outline two key findings. First, while mobile money is appropriate for individual accounts, there are difficulties around the validation of group accounts. Also, agent […]
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Training
Digital Savings Group Course
Aga Khan Foundation
2019
Digital Savings Group Course
Developed by the Aga Khan Foundation (AKF), this online course discusses key concepts in digital savings groups (DSGs) and provides a detailed orientation to AKF’s DSG platform. The course is designed for those who wish to support the implementation of DSGs, including project managers, trainers, and village agents. The course consists of 49 short videos. […]