The Sanambe village savings and loans club in Malawi (pictured)  is amongst hundreds of community-based groups supporting enterprise and job creation in the southern African country.

Provided with training and technical support, the Sanambe group is one of nearly 350 village savings groups being supported by Self Help Africa in Malawi.

Almost 6,000 of the total membership of just over 7,500 are women, who are supported to establish small on and off-farm income generating businesses with loans that they can borrow from their community-based club.

The member-run groups  encourage and promote a culture of savings, and administer the disbursal of small loans to their members.

Borrowers who have received loans under the Malawi programme have been supported to purchase livestock, trade cereals, process farm-produced goods and establish small shops and market stalls.

At the end of 2015 the Malawi savings and loans programme had a loan book of approximately €80,000, and was providing thousands of loans to support members with the creation of businesses and local employment opportunities at village level.