Savings Group Grows Income in Cameroon
Zaina Tata, a mother of six, always worked hard to provide for her family. From the side of the road near her home in Cameroon’s Far North region, Zaina would sell small cakes and donuts to her neighbors. But, as the sole source of income, she earned barely enough to meet her family’s needs. She wanted to sell more but she lacked the capital to buy ingredients in bulk, which would have increased her profits A few times she went bankrupt.
“It was very difficult,” Zaina says. “I didn't have a consistent fund to run my business.”
Zaina Tata, was able to grow her business with a loan from her savings group.
Photo by Mabel Chenjoh/CRS
Then, as a participant in Catholic Relief Services’ STaR project, Zaina was invited to join a savings and internal lending community. As part of the savings group—named Tchin Mava, which means “understanding”—she and other group members have a place to safely save money. Members also have access to small loans without having to meet any of the requirements of conventional banks, something usually not possible for low-income individuals like Zaina.
Each week, members meet to contribute a small amount to the group’s funds. When enough money has been collected, they take turns borrowing what they need and paying back the loans with a small amount of interest.
Zaina’s first loan of $33 helped her buy fresh supplies and expand her business. In addition to cakes and donuts, she now sells beef broth, which she says has helped attract more customers to her food stand.
“I've made progress,” she says. “I'm already making a profit every week, so my children and I have something to eat throughout the day.”
As she continues to reinvest some of the profit to expand her business, Zaina has also been able to buy household items and new clothes for her children, improving the family’s living conditions.
The group has now become a source of solidarity and support, fostering social cohesion in a community that has been affected by conflict.
Zaina Tata attends to her customers at her stand in front of her home, where she sells small donuts and tea in the Far North Region of Cameroon.
Photo by Mabel Chenjoh/CRS
“We are like one family,” Zaina says. “There is acceptance and mutual aid. We trust each other.”
Looking toward the future, Zaina would eventually like to open a restaurant.
“Someplace with comforts and equipment, such as tables and chairs and a refrigerator,” she says. “And to expand the menu with other food in addition to broth and cake, including beans, porridge and tea, so that everyone can have something to eat.”
She also hopes to employ other people from the community to satisfy her growing clientele and further boost her income.
Looking back, Zania says, “The lesson I've learned is that, although beginnings are difficult, we must always persevere, remain united, and learn to trust each other so that we can bring development to our own community.”
The Stabilization and Reconciliation in the Lake Chad Region project, or STaR, is funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) via the German Development Bank (KfW). Phase I started in 2019 in Chad, Niger and Nigeria, while Phase II launched in September 2021 and expanded to include Cameroon. The project has activities under four components, including infrastructure development, economic revitalization, social cohesion and local governance. In Cameroon, CRS partners with Caritas Mokolo to implement the project.
