In 2009, Margaret Nakandi together with her husband – Joseph Kisakye harvested ten sacks of maize. From this harvest, the couple saved at least one million Uganda shillings (about $350). Because they had worked together, the husband felt, it would be right to offer Two hundred thousand shillings (about $70) to his wife Nakandi.
By that time, the major problem Nakandi had was buying a simple cell phone at Uganda Shillings One Hundred Thousand (about $35), and she kept the rest of the money. In the next season, Nakandi recalls that they managed to harvest maize and coffee worth two million shillings, from which the husband gave her five hundred thousand ($175). “This forced me to go and open an account in the savings scheme. As I was there, some people told my husband that I had gone to the bank with millions of money and so I was
becoming disloyal to him. He came looking for me and eventually chased me away, asking where I had got all that money. I explained to him that it was only Six hundred thousand which I had kept from the harvest but he could not listen to me. He said I did not need to keep money in the bank. And that, if I wanted to do so, he would help me to keep it.” Nakandi, a resident of Mayobyo in Bulera Sub county Mityana district narrates. Like Nakandi, Fiona Nambalirwa of
Kikandwa in Kalwana Sub County Mubende district says for many years, her husband has not allowed her to save money in the credit schemes in their village.
“When we sell one of the domestic animals, he wants to take
the money. If I get my share, I have to keep it in the house, and
we use my money to buy household items like salt, sugar, until
it is finished. He believes that if I join the savings scheme, i may
get bad behaviors from there like cheating on him,”
Nambalirwa says. These are some of the many Ugandan rural women, who are struggling to better their living economically amidst those challenges. For the past few years, The Ugandan government has been encouraging citizens to form Savings and Credit Cooperatives (SACCOS) in their communities. At least each and every Sub county by this time has got a Sacco, where residents
can keep and save their money. Mubende and Mityana districts indicate that most of these Saccos are dominated by men, with
women. In Mityana town Council, women joined and formed a group from which they have started Sacco. The Nkokonjeru Women’s Sacco in Mityana district has a membership of over three hundred and sixty eight active members. “Out of these members, one hundred and ninety nine are women and they are the most active
members. They save a lot, others borrow and they pay in time,” Ruth Kasozi, a Sacco official notes.
While attending one of their meetings recently, women appealed to their husbands to allow them access the services of these Saccos. “We are wives, mothers and caretakers, but we engage in a number of economic activities. We are able to earn, save and borrow, then pay back, but our husbands do not allow us to join the Saccos,” one of the women, who preferred not to be revealed, said, as the rest of the women cheered her up.
In response, Lydia Karungu, a government official in charge of the Saccos in the central Region warned husbands over the practice. Karungi says women are the most powerful and hard working and so must be given a chance to access credit and saving services.
“This practice I have heard should stop. Women are the planners of the home; they are the best at taking care of the home.
They can save money better than men, they can even earn better
than men, given a chance to work. Many times, husbands die and the
women remain in full control of the families. In such an instance, the
woman suffers a lot if she had not been actively working before.”
Stakeholders must come on board to strongly support women, in the
issues of savings and credit.
(Mary is Global South Development Magazine’s special correspondent for women’s issues in Africa and can be reached at namusokmaria@yahoo.co.uk)
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