A proposed community-led initiative helping women in Machogo, Kumbu and Makonday strengthen practical livelihood skills, save together and develop sustainable income opportunities for their families.
The Women’s Skills and Savings Project is a proposed community-led initiative for women in Machogo, Kumbu and Makonday, Sanda Loko Chiefdom, Karene District. The project will bring women together in organised savings groups, strengthen their financial and business skills, and support them to develop practical livelihood activities based on local needs and market opportunities. Particular attention will be given to women facing economic hardship, women with disabilities, caregivers of children with disabilities and women responsible for supporting their households. Before livelihood activities are selected, CDEO will consult participating women and assess local demand, available resources and suitable markets. This approach will help ensure that the project supports activities women can realistically manage and sustain. The long-term purpose is to help women strengthen their economic independence, manage household needs more confidently and contribute to their children’s education, health and general wellbeing.
Women play an essential role in supporting households and community life across rural Sierra Leone. In Machogo, Kumbu and Makonday, many women care for children, manage household responsibilities and contribute to local livelihoods, but have limited access to skills training, savings services, business guidance and capital. Income opportunities in these communities are often small, seasonal and vulnerable to unexpected expenses. Women who earn irregular incomes may find it difficult to save individually, invest in productive activities or meet education, healthcare and household costs. CDEO proposes a community-led programme that will help women organise, learn together, save regularly and explore sustainable livelihood opportunities suited to their circumstances.
Women in the target communities face limited access to practical livelihood training, organised savings mechanisms, financial education and resources for starting or strengthening small income-generating activities. These barriers reduce their ability to build reliable household income, respond to emergencies and consistently support their children’s education and wellbeing. Women with disabilities, caregivers and women experiencing severe economic hardship may face additional exclusion from available opportunities. A locally managed programme is needed to help women build relevant skills, establish accountable savings groups and develop realistic pathways toward greater financial stability.
- Establish inclusive, community-managed women’s savings groups in the target communities. - Strengthen participants’ knowledge of saving, budgeting, record-keeping and responsible financial management. - Identify practical livelihood activities through consultation and basic local-market assessment. - Provide relevant skills and small-business training based on the opportunities selected by participants. - Support women to plan, start or strengthen sustainable income-generating activities. - Promote the participation of women with disabilities, caregivers and economically vulnerable women. - Strengthen women’s ability to contribute to household needs and their children’s education and wellbeing. - Develop transparent group leadership, safeguarding and accountability practices.
Women from Machogo, Kumbu and Makonday communities in Sanda Loko Chiefdom, with priority consideration for economically vulnerable women, women with disabilities, caregivers and women supporting children and other dependants. The final number of direct participants will be confirmed after community consultation, registration and assessment. CDEO will publish a verified beneficiary figure before implementation begins.
- Hold introductory meetings with community leaders and women in the three target communities. - Conduct a participant needs assessment and a basic study of local livelihood and market opportunities. - Register participants using clear and inclusive selection criteria. - Organise women into manageable savings groups. - Help each group develop leadership roles, meeting procedures and transparent savings rules. - Train participants in saving, budgeting, financial literacy, record-keeping and basic business management. - Select livelihood skills based on participants’ interests, available resources and realistic market demand. - Arrange practical livelihood and enterprise training with qualified local facilitators. - Support participants to prepare simple individual or group business plans. - Explore appropriate start-up support, productive tools or materials, subject to available funding. - Provide mentoring, follow-up visits and support for savings-group management. - Monitor participation, savings activity, livelihood progress and lessons learned. - Document verified results and publish approved progress reports.
- Women’s savings groups are established and managed using agreed rules and transparent records. -Participants improve their understanding of saving, budgeting, record-keeping and small-business management. - Women gain livelihood skills connected to realistic local opportunities. - Participating women develop stronger habits of saving and planning for household needs. - Women are better prepared to start or strengthen small income-generating activities. - Women with disabilities and caregivers have improved opportunities to participate in community economic activities. - Participants strengthen their ability to support household needs, including their children’s education and wellbeing. - CDEO gathers verified evidence to guide future women’s economic-empowerment programmes.
Months 1–2: Community engagement, needs assessment, participant registration and market review Months 3–4: Formation of savings groups, leadership selection and financial-literacy training Months 5–7: Practical livelihood and small-business training Months 8–10: Business planning, mentoring and approved livelihood support Months 11–12: Follow-up, evaluation, documentation and sustainability planning
CDEO is seeking financial, technical and in-kind support for community consultations, participant assessment, savings-group materials, financial-literacy training, livelihood-skills training, qualified facilitators, accessible participation, basic business-development support, monitoring, safeguarding and project reporting. The final funding requirement and budget breakdown will be published after the number of participants, selected livelihood activities, supplier quotations and implementation arrangements have been confirmed. CDEO also welcomes partnerships with organisations and professionals able to provide training, mentoring, productive equipment, market connections or technical guidance.
We publish project information only once it is confirmed and approved. These sections will appear here when they are ready.
The project has been put forward but has not started.
Updates and documents appear here once they are verified and approved for public release.
No implementation achievements have been published. Updates will appear here when they are verified and approved.
Machogo Village, Sanda Loko Chiefdom
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If your organization can contribute technical expertise, funding, or in-kind support, we would be glad to talk. Support is discussed openly, including intended use and what information is available.