Microsavings through Village Savings and Loan Associations

30 years of impact and counting

Over the past three decades of innovation, evidence from across CARE’s programs shows that VSLAs have helped women strengthen their financial footing and improve their families’ well-being:

• VSLA members see an average income growth of 275% by year five.
• VSLA members were 50-60% less likely to face food shortages than non-members.
• Members of VSLAs are up to 85% more likely to have savings to draw on in emergencies.

A platform for growth

These gains reflect the power of a model that grows with women. What began as a simple tool for saving has become a powerful entry point to entrepreneurship, market access, civic engagement, and connection to formal financial systems. For millions of women, VSLAs are not just a safety net—they’re a springboard to greater prosperity.

We’re well on the way to reaching our goal of 50 million women—65 million people overall—by 2030. Many VSLA members are already building on their success, turning individual progress into collective momentum.

With over 20 million members worldwide, the collective potential of savings groups as a market for services and products, as suppliers of essential goods to the world, and as platforms for social change, is immense. CARE walks alongside these women at every step of their journey to lasting economic growth.