Savings and loans: The importance of linking VSLAs to the formal banking system in cocoa-growing areas
21 September 2023
“I hesitated on the bank matter because I can't read or write and I've been cheated several times. (...) I finally accepted and received 350,000 Fcfa. With this money and my husband's financial contribution, I planted a yam field and a cassava field. Things are going well now.” These are the words of Valérie Sontoaho, married to a cocoa farmer, mother of 3 children and trader in Pinhou, a cocoa-growing community located 24 km from Téady, Côte d'Ivoire. Valérie Sontoaho is a member of the Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs) Aboussouan. She explained how the 350,000 Fcfa loan she
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