Life Savings Partnership
PROJECT OVERVIEW
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In Nkhotakota, village bank members play the ‘Condom Bomb’ game
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FINCA, a global microfinance institution, and CCP created the "Life Savings Partnership” (LSP) with the goal of expanding access to HIV prevention and behavior change education to poor women in Malawi. Microfinance refers to financial services, such as small loans or savings plans, provided to low-income individuals, usually to help support self-employment. The type of microfinance model followed in the LSP was Village Banking. Under this model, community members come together in financial support groups called “Village Banks.” Individuals borrow money for their small businesses, and because they have little collateral, the group guarantees the loans. As the small businesses grow, families earn more, buy more nutritious foods, and parents can more easily afford to send their children to school. The LSP was designed to take advantage of the existing Village Bank infrastructure by incorporating HIV education into the already established weekly Village Bank meetings. In this way, the LSP addressed a complex problem in sub-Saharan Africa – providing a route to disseminate HIV information to the most vulnerable populations in an environment crippled by devastating poverty.
The LSP trained FINCA Village Bank members, in Malawi, largely women, to be Peer Educators who in turn taught others about HIV and AIDS and motivated them to practice healthy behaviors and reduce stigma. LSP was a 16 month pilot project carried out by FINCA and CCP in seven districts of Central Malawi: Dedza, Dowa, Lilongwe, Mchinji, Nkhotakota, Ntchisi, and Salima.
OBJECTIVES/STRATEGIES
The objectives of the Life Savings Partnership were to:
- Bring HIV and AIDS prevention, positive living, and stigma reduction messages and skills to clients of FINCA’s Village Bank network;
- Increase HIV and AIDS knowledge of FINCA Village Bank Members (VBM)
- Increase the practice of safer sex and other HIV preventive behavior by VBM
- Reduce HIV and AIDS related stigma within the bank and the wider community
- Build a model that can leverage additional resources and can be replicated throughout the world wherever FINCA and CCP operate programs
RESEARCH
Both baseline and follow-up studies were conducted with participants and non-participants. Significantly greater improvements were found in the treatment community (Lilongwe), as compared to the control community (Blantyre) in a number of domains, including:
- Retention. Participation in the Life Savings Partnership program resulted in greater retention of bank members. This was true even after the termination of the program.
- Knowledge gain. Participation in the program resulted in greater knowledge about HIV/AIDS transmission and prevention.
- Sigma around immorality. Participation in the program resulted in lowered stigmatizing beliefs that HIV/AIDS was due to immoral behavior.
- Self-efficacy to reduce number of sexual partners. Participation in the program resulted in improvements in self-efficacy to reduce the number of sexual partners.
- Self-efficacy to use condoms. Participation in the program resulted in improvements in self-efficacy to use condoms.
- HIV testing. Participation in the program resulted in greater rates of HIV testing.
- Discussion about condom use with partner. Participation in the program resulted in greater rates of discussion about condom use with partner.
- Discussion about condom use with friends. Participation in the program resulted in greater rates of discussion about condom use with friends.
At baseline, the two communities were not equivalent on many variables. It appears that women in the treatment community started the program from a position of deficit. Hence, to the extent that significant improvements were found, one conclusion that can be drawn is that the Life Savings Partnership Program helped those who needed it the most, that it closed the deficit gap.
ACTIVITIES AND HIGHLIGHTS
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The Peer Educator demonstrating how to put on a condom (Kasungu-Chulu).
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The 400 Village Bank members trained as peer educators delivered HIV/AIDS prevention education and behavior change messages to 3,692 clients in the Gates-funded phase, with an additional 1,932 supported in a follow-on phase undertaken at FINCA’s initiative.
The LSP produced several materials that assisted the Peer Educators in carrying out their work: The Guide to Training of Master Trainers, The Peer Educator Activity Book (referred to as the PEAB), Information Cards to highlight key points in each session; and, Passbook picture cards that were given to each member of the bank to reinforce key messages. These cards were designed to fit into the existing village bank passbooks of the members for easy reference.
The Partnership was designed with the aim of first engaging Village Bank Members with the expectation that they would then spread the knowledge gained to others. Based on feedback from bank members, this has indeed been the case, with Peer Educators taking materials home to talk with their family members and other members discussing issues raised with friends, family and the wider community. In addition, some Peer Educators have gained recognition in the community to the extent of being invited to HIV and AIDS workshops, which take place in their community.
Implementing staff had several opportunities to receive feedback from the participants of the program. During informal group sessions, the following testimonials were documented:
“I used to have so many boyfriends whom I had sexual relationships with. Unfortunately, I was also afraid to go to the hospital and get tested for HIV. But nowadays, after being trained in HIV and AIDS and knowing the importance of being tested, I am no longer the same. I have changed completely. . . (and) I went to the hospital and got tested for HIV.” – female participant
“In the past, I was very much afraid to go for HIV testing but now I have managed to talk to my husband and both of us went for HIV testing. We were counseled and received guidance. We are now staying happily because both of us know our sero-status.”
- female participant
FUTURE DIRECTIONS
The LSP project achieved its goal of training FINCA Village bank members to be peer educators who in turn taught others about HIV and AIDS and motivated them to practice healthy behaviors and reduce stigma. It demonstrated the usefulness and validity of transferring HIV and AIDS education and behavior change messages through village banks, and the power of giving “ordinary” people the tools to make changes in their lives. Interviews with Village Bank members indicate that they not only improved their knowledge, but were able to put into practice the information and skills acquired.
FINCA and CCP will continue to look for resources to expand the Live Savings Partnership as well as explore ways of involving village bank member’s partners and other men in the community, and expanding to health topics beyond HIV.
MATERIALS AND RESOURCES
CONTACT INFORMATION
Glory Mkandawire, Chief of Party
Accord Trust Building
Off Chilambula Road
Lilongwe 4, Malawi
Phone: (265-1) 750-773 or 750-553
Cell phone: 265-9-511-242
Fax: (265-1)750 496
E-mail: gmkandawire@malawibridge.org
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