This report offers insights from the pilot of DreamSave conducted in 2021-22 by TechnoServe and DreamStart Labs among 40 savings groups in the Zou, Collines and Borgou Departments in the Benin Republic. This included 31 pre-existing savings groups (“paper-to-digital”) and 9 newly formed groups (“born-digital”).

This article summarizes the findings from the Feed the Future Agricultural Development and Value Chain Enhancement (ADVANCE II) project in Ghana, focusing on the impact of the project on Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs) and women’s empowerment. In partnership with the Mobile Telephone Network (MTN), ADVANCE II registered four VSLAs in Ghana’s northern region […]

This article discusses the main findings from a qualitative assessment of Savings at the Frontier (SatF) projects in Ghana, Tanzania, and Zambia, implemented in 2015-2022 and funded by the Mastercard Foundation. The program sought to bridge the gap between formal financial services and informal savings groups, enabling members to access the financial services that best […]

World Relief created this tool to help country offices decide if transitioning to a digital savings group (DSG) program would be helpful for the participants. After understanding the local context and current savings group program, field staff can ask themselves the questions in the decision tree to determine if and what type of a DSG […]

In this short interview, Tamrat Abera explains how Mercy Corps is piloting an app from Jamii.one to digitize the record-keeping in savings groups in Ethiopia. He explains the pilot objectives, the current status of the pilot, key challenges and lessons, and plans for the next 12 months. This is the first in a short series […]

This case study examines two digital savings group solutions – Mvend and SAVE – promoted within UNCDF’s REFAD program in Rwanda. These solutions were adopted by REFAD partners to expand financial inclusion and improve resilience in refugee camps and host communities in Rwanda. The case study discusses some of the successes, enablers, and impediments on […]

This research brief highlights key insights from a study of digital savings groups (DSGs) conducted in rural Tanzania from August 2019 through February 2020. The research was led by the International Center for Research on Women (ICRW) working with savings groups supported by Project Concern International (PCI), a Global Communities Partner, and their Women Empowered […]

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 […]