Yolande Ebah Kouassi, from the Marahoue region in Côte d’Ivoire, is the President of her Village Savings & Loan Association. She is 41 years old, married with four children, and cares for her three nephews whose father passed away. She runs her own small business by selling 'attieké', a local food that she makes from the cassava she grows. Yolande's VSLA group started three years ago and has 30 members; its name is Abôkon, meaning unity. She is a VSLA pioneer and has set up new groups and mobilized and inspired 150 women to join groups in her community. She advocates for children's education and educates her community to prioritize children's education and fight child labor.
This FY24 VSLA Annual Report shares progress made on CARE’s 12-year VSLA Scaling Strategy, underscoring VSLAs as a global force for economic empowerment and beyond. Guided by the voices of our VSLA members, we’re delivering comprehensive impact for 20 million people across 67 countries, as we advance toward our 2030 goal of reaching 65 million people—50 million of whom are women and girls—with VSLAs. Read More
“Her Money. Her Future.” showcases CARE’s accomplishments in advancing economic justice for women worldwide, including a pioneering financial return on investment (ROI) metric. CARE's savings groups generated $9 in women’s income for every $1 invested. Read More