A total of 69 women have completed a three-day refresher training for Women’s Savings Groups in Guadalcanal.
The training sessions, conducted in their respective villages, included 36 women from Ghombua, 26 from Geza, and 7 from Govu.
The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA), through its Soul Cocoa Livelihood Project (SCLP), facilitated the training sessions held at Ghombua on Sunday, March 23, Geza on Tuesday, March 25, and Govu on Wednesday, March 26, 2025, in Northeast and East Central Guadalcanal.
Mac Joe Luvu, a private consultant hired by SCLP, conducted the loan refresher training. He was initially contracted by ADRA’s SC Plus Project to implement the training program.
The primary objective of the refresher training was to assess and reaffirm the savings groups’ rules and guidelines regarding their savings and loan activities. SCLP has initiated these programs for women in these communities, and ADRA SCLP continues to work closely with them through the Cocoa Livelihood Project.
Jerolyn Jim, a member of the Savings Group from Ghombua, expressed her appreciation for the refresher training.
“Thank you, ADRA SCLP, for visiting us again after such a long time. We had not met for a while and had even breached some rules of the saving scheme. This refresher training will help us get back on track after being inactive for some time. It allows us to reunite as a group,” Ms. Jim said.
Mabel Gogoni from the Geza Women’s Savings Group shared similar sentiments.
“We are happy that ADRA SCLP came back to help us revisit the savings loan scheme, as some of us had forgotten important aspects of it. It’s good that we reviewed the requirements of the savings loan scheme again and reminded ourselves of our responsibilities as members of the team,” she said.
Liean Patterson from Govu, the Centre Leader of her savings group, also expressed her gratitude to ADRA for the refresher training.
“To be honest, it has been a long time since we last gathered to discuss this scheme due to our various commitments. Most of us women live far apart, making it difficult to meet regularly. But thank you, ADRA, for organizing this refresher training and bringing us together to revive this savings loan scheme,” Ms. Patterson said.
Reidly Harold, Project Officer for the Soul Cocoa Livelihood Project (SCLP), emphasized the success of the refresher training.
“This training was essential in reaffirming the rules and guidelines. Some of these were not being strictly followed by certain groups, so the women’s groups were very happy to have this refresher training.”
“The training covered savings techniques, loan rules, loan commitments, timelines, the sustainability of savings, savings rules, updated savings memberships, and the latest updates on savings cash at hand,” Mr. Harold said.
Meanwhile, the initiative aims to help cooperative members develop a savings and loan culture, ensuring that profits from cooperative proceeds can be saved. The collective funds can then be used to provide small loans, enabling individual members to improve their farming processes. These loans will be repaid to the group, ensuring that other members also benefit in a continuous cycle.
