A Simple, Free, Stand-Alone Solution for Independent Savings Groups

VSL Associates of Germany, in collaboration with Kalority Ventures Ltd. of Nairobi and Marc Bavois of Catholic Relief Services (CRS), is unveiling a groundbreaking mobile application designed to simplify and improve the quality of record-keeping for independent Savings Groups. The app is tailored to meet the needs of groups that may or may not be supported by a training agency, ensuring they maintain accurate and reliable records that are easily understood and transparent. Its purpose is to improve security and reliability (and therefore confidence in the accuracy of records).

What is different about this app?

We started with the belief that the biggest issue facing savings groups is difficulty in record-keeping and wanted to do something about this, before addressing any longer-term considerations about data mining or external linkages.

The most distinctive features of this application are that it is:

• free 
• stand alone and functions completely offline (while allowing for cloud backup, it does so without the involvement of any third party). 
• primarily meant to help groups keep simple, basic, and precise records – and nothing else. 

We wanted to ensure that users can easily manage day-to-day data entry and record-keeping, and have incorporated the use of observation in the recording of cash, social fund and bank balances, derived from practice in standard SG methodologies.

Flexibility and Simplicity Combined

Despite its straightforward design, the app offers a lot of of flexibility. Users can tailor it to suit their individual group needs, making it adaptable to various contexts. 

The following are key features of the application:

• Offered in five languages (English, French, Kiswahili, Portuguese and Spanish). Any language can be added at a user’s request, on completion of an Excel-based translation table.  
• 3-pin security
• Savings registered either in cash or shares
• Unlimited savings and withdrawals possible
• Lengths of loan term fully flexible
• Selectable ratio of savings to lending
• Selectable type of loan interest (declining balance, flat, up front life-of-loan – or none)
• Savings and all loan transactions possible in all meetings
• Registration of Social Fund balances
• Registration of bank balances
• Automated share-out calculations
• Optional SMS reports to individual members
• Records maintained on the ‘phone for up to 5 prior meetings, to allow for data verification
• Private backup/restore functionality in case of loss or damage to ‘phone

Supporting Low Literacy Users

Recognizing the challenges faced by users with low literacy, VSL Associates, and Kalority (with technical collaboration from CRS) have prioritized usability in the app’s design. The interface is user-friendly, with straightforward instructions and minimal text requirements. This approach makes the app accessible to a broader audience, although basic literacy is necessary.

Collaboration for Innovation

The partnership between VSL Associates, Kalority and CRS has enabled the creation of an application that combines the different expertise of the three organisations. As a result we believe the tool to be technologically sound and practical.

How can the app be used – and future development

The app is freely available to anyone, and can be used independently by groups that have received training or that have spontaneously emerged.  It can be made part of an implementing organisations toolkit, or be delivered by private service providers.  It will have an unlimited life.

Our strategy is to upgrade it progressively over the next year on the basis of user feedback, to ensure that the basic approach is practical, reliable and straightforward.  

If it proves to be popular, we plan to create a fee-based version, to be released in early 2026 that will be designed only to be delivered by implementing organisations that want to link the app to the SAVIX MIS.  This version will attract a purchase fee ,at a rate as yet to be determined, as a one-time lifetime licence, such that the app can continue to contribute data to the SAVIX MIS, post-project, without requiring SG users to pay annual subscriptions.  This version will be downgradeable to the current IG app if an organisation stops using the SAVIX MIS.