@article{Kyamuwendo:159427,
      recid = {159427},
      author = {Kyamuwendo, Elijah and Wibberley, John},
      title = {Financing Rural Credit: Experiences with Farmers in East  & Southern Africa},
      address = {2012},
      number = {304-2016-4816},
      pages = {11},
      year = {2012},
      abstract = {Small financial loans (credit schemes) can be strategic to  help African
subsistence farmers to develop their farms and  in fostering new rural
micro-enterprises. Such credit can  be provided and serviced by NGOs
(Non-Government  Organisations – often charitable). Concomitant
training in  financial management and entrepreneurship can be
helpful.  Drawing on participant observer research and experience  in
Southern and East Africa, the authors propose that  ultimately – to be
sustainable - responsibility for such  financial provision must be taken
by farmers themselves,  both individually and communally. Initial help
from  outsiders (such as charitable NGOs) may be crucial in  catalysing
this provision and in setting up procedures for  its prudent and
transparent management. However, ongoing  help should be confined
to training in financial management  and entrepreneurship, leaving
farmers themselves to  organise and take responsibility for their  funds,
interacting with the banks, or with traditional  societies such as stokvels
where appropriate. Evidence is  provided from the experience of ACAT
in South Africa over  the past 33 years, of a hugely beneficial strategic
switch  from expensively servicing and financially monitoring  Savings
Clubs to encouraging their formation and management  independently
by farmers. Lessons are drawn from and for  work in East Africa. Their
application is the objective of  this Paper.},
      url = {http://ageconsearch.umn.edu/record/159427},
      doi = {https://doi.org/10.22004/ag.econ.159427},
}