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A Savings and Loan Group (SLG) is a group of people that save together in a safe, convenient, and flexible way. They are selected, owned, managed, and operated by the members based on internal regulations set by the group, using a simple and transparent method for the group to accumulate and convert small amounts of cash into savings. The group’s savings can be lent to members as credit. SLGs are low cost and require only facilitation staff and a small operating budget. These groups are self-replicating, community- led and sustainable.
The intervention targeted 10,000 clients through the formation of 500 SLGs
Local partners used their expertise in community mobilization and their network of community-based organizations across the Jordan valley to ensure that SLG efforts are sustainable and deliver impact for communities. Benefits of SLGs include:
Food processing is an important agricultural activity in the Jordan valley, and one where women significantly contribute. However, the majority of women who are processing food products require a significant amount of support to improve their business and incomes. As a result, their operations are smaller in scale.
With funding from Global Affairs Canada, MEDA supported Women and Youth Entrepreneurs (WYEs) by providing production development to improve existing production systems and develop new ones, and market access to facilitate improved access for WYEs to end markets (consumer, local community, SMEs, etc.).
To support micro, small, and medium enterprises led by WYEs to enter the food processing value chain and become strong economic actors.
The intervention targeted 5,700 WYEs in the Jordan Valley
Through this project, WYEs:
Community-based tourism (CBT) is becoming a growing trend worldwide in which local community residents manage tourism sites and offer unique services and experiences for tourists to explore their traditions, ways of life, and cultural identity.
Funded by Global Affairs Canada, MEDA developed a CBT program with the local community and the tourism sector. This program is focused on empowering women and youth to be the hosts for tourists in their villages. The program’s aim is to create a sustainable tourism model in the targeted areas to stimulate economic growth and protect cultural heritage and natural resources.
To promote CBT by developing the entrepreneurial and business skills of women and youth and reducing barriers to entry for enterprise development.
The tourism component aimed to reach 4,000 clients through capacity strengthening, enterprise development, and awareness.
The tourism component focuses on providing economic opportunities by:
Clean technology (CT) is any process, product or service that minimizes harm to the environment. Its purpose is to make business procedures more energy efficient and less wasteful. In Jordan, the energy sector is making progress toward increasing renewable energy use by developing the necessary legal framework and increasing the share of renewable energy by 10% and energy efficiency by 20% in 2020.
Funded by Global Affairs Canada, MEDA will promote CT solutions, strengthen the capacity of women and youth entrepreneurs (WYEs), provide support to create businesses in CT, and provide financial solutions to help businesses grow in the food processing, community-based tourism and clean technology sectors.
To promote and increase awareness about clean technology businesses in the Jordan Valley.
The CT component aims to reach 20,000 women and youth with awareness and create 500 CT businesses.
Through the partnerships, the project will strengthen the capacity of WYEs to create businesses in maintaining and installing PV systems and in composting. At the same time, the partners will work to find financial solutions for WYEs using the saving and loans group concept to facilitate their access to finance and support them in growing their businesses.
Field assessments identified three challenges that CT businesses face:
Mennonite Economic Development Associates is an international economic development organization that creates business solutions to poverty.
MEDA International is a Canadian non-share capital not-for-profit corporation incorporated under the Canada Not-for-profit Corporations Act.
Mennonite Economic Development Associates is a 501(c)(3) status non-profit organization in the United States: EIN 23-7398678.
Mennonite Economic Development Associates of Canada is a registered charity in Canada: No. 107 691 057 RR0001.
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