Christina Daelo (top) prepares vegetables for lunch with a relative. Mchiramwera, Thyolo District, Malawi. Image: ETP/Homeline Media

Christina Daelo poses in front of her goat kraal. By participating in the Ulalo programme, she has been able to save money through the Maso Patsogolo VSLA and buy her own livestock. Mchiramwera, Thyolo District, Malawi. Image: ETP/Homeline Media

Ulalo ‘Bridge’

A community lending and saving scheme addressing poverty and gender inequality in Malawian tea.

A unique, sustainable, grassroots project successfully piloted and now in expansion.

In Assam, India, people who live or work in tea plantations make up nearly 20% of the state’s population. These communities face a range of social issues, and many need support to address them.

Our Plantation Community Empowerment Programme (PCEP) helps communities help themselves through the creation of dedicated grassroots forums. These bring community members and plantation managers together to build understanding and jointly resolve local issues.

2021-2024
Status: On-track

Project

Economics

Equality

Decent livelihoods

Empowered safe communities

Equal opportunities

Malawi

Project overview

Using Community Development Forums (a model developed by CARE International) to help tea plantation communities and management tackle problems together.

Project partners

ETP core funding, Taylors of Harrogate, Jing Tea, Ostfriesische Tee Gesellschaft GmbH & Co. KG, Lavazza Professional, and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ)

Christina Daelo (right) prepares vegetables for lunch with a relative. Mchiramwera, Thyolo District, Malawi. Image: ETP/Homeline Media

PCEP wants to create a thriving tea sector in Assam by improving the wellbeing and participation of the wider community.

Its end goal is for communities and plantation management to jointly resolve issues around living and working conditions in tea estates.

Using Community Development Forums breaks down traditional employer-employee power dynamics, helping tea estate workers to know their rights and engage with managers.

They can also help communities tackle local social issues including alcohol abuse, youth unemployment, access to government schemes, and children reaching their potential.

Eliza Bangula waters her vegetable garden. Taking part in the Ulalo programme and saving money through the Amayi Otsogola VSLA gave Eliza an alternative to borrowing money from loan sharks at high rates of interest. Mulanje District, Malawi. Image: ETP/Homeline Media

VSLAs are a model originally developed by CARE International. Each VSLA is an informal self-managed group of 15-25 people that provides their members with basic and practical financial experience.

Members put individual savings into a joint fund, then borrow money from it at an agreed rate of interest (typically 20-30%). Over time, the groups’ profits grow as loan repayments are made.

After 6-12 months, the accumulated savings are distributed back to members, and a new saving cycle begins.

To assist in this process, we also provide complementary finance and acc

Christina Daelo releases a kid from her goat kraal. By participating in the Ulalo programme, she has been able to save money through the Maso Patsogolo VSLA and buy her own livestock. Mchiramwera, Thyolo District, Malawi. Image: ETP/Homeline Media

Ulalo is still ongoing, but so far:

107 VSLA groups have been established.
Less than 20% of VSLA members would now consider taking a loan from a loan shark.
We have directly reached 1,072 tea workers (53% women) and 5,360 people indirectly (70% women).
We have provided training for 20 new VSLA group leaders and lead workers.
Members who lost their homes and property during Cyclone Freddy were able to use a social welfare fund through the VSLA groups.