“My first experience with a financial institution was when I joined the Cash for Work programme. A team came and opened bank accounts and mobile money for us to receive our salaries. Since I started working, I have never touched the payments on my mobile wallet, so I use it as a saving account because it is easier to save when you don’t see the money next to you”- Binta, Farmer in Jumansar.

“Cash for Work” is a part of the “Jobs, Skills and Finance for Women and Youth" (JSF) programme in The Gambia, funded by the European Union and launched by the UN Capital Development Fund in October 2018 in partnership with the International Trade Centre. The JSF programme focuses on two components: (1) Job creation for the youth, women, and local communities and equal access to employable skills development; (2) Improved access to finance.

In line with the first component of the JSF programme, Cash for Work was designed with the primary intent to uplift and empower local communities. The programme provides temporary employment in public projects for individuals and builds their capacity by developing new skill sets for the benefit of communities. To strengthen the impact on the communities and improve their access to finance, it was mandatory for all the beneficiaries to have a bank account, and a mobile wallet.

One central question remained, however!
How do you introduce people to a financial world that has always seemed inaccessible to them and build their trust while still being mindful of the low literacy level in the country?

The best way to get the communities’ attention is to go to them, start a conversation and remove the barrier of the unknown. Therefore, it was essential to choose the right implementing partners.

In that light, UNCDF entered a partnership with two financial service providers that share the same goal of bridging the financial inclusion gap: Reliance, a microfinance institution, and QMoney, a mobile money operator. The first would take care of the savings accounts where 85% of the salaries would be transferred, and the second of the mobile wallets for the remaining 15% of the pay. Finally, in a joint effort, both partners would also provide training in financial management to empower the communities.

During a field visit in February 2022, with Reliance Financial Services and Qmoney, it was interesting to notice the projects’ diversity, the differences between communities, and the uniqueness of their challenges. The projects vary from building bridges, building and managing community gardens, borehole development, poultry farming, to solar panel projects.

Communities shared their experiences and how the programme’s impacts exceeded their expectations. The projects built a sense of unity, working together to achieve common goals and tackling issues with a united front.

“Having access to an agent was difficult because of how remote our village is. So, instead of each of us occurring transport fees to the main center, we gather and contribute monthly to pay one agent’s transport from the main town to come and help us cash in and cash out.” voiced the Kerewan community.

Moreover, having a source of revenue empowered most of them to venture into personal and sustainable businesses that contributed to their financial resilience. Even though salaries get paid twice a month onto their respective accounts, the beneficiaries understood the importance of saving for rainy days or achieving personal goals mainly due to the financial literacy training.

Throughout the visit, we’ve encountered members that shared their stories, like Abraham, 28 years old from Pakaliba, who stated:

“Having a mobile wallet allowed me to save money to buy a fishing net and a bicycle to start a personal trading business.”

Fatou, from Kachang, managed to start a poultry farm with the revenue she is getting from the programme. She has since become a model and mentor for the other women in the community and managed to uplift her family's welfare.

Since May 2020, the project has facilitated the creation of almost 3000 financial accounts despite Covid Challenges and given access to about $220,500 as revenues to the beneficiaries. As UNCDF expands the project to 12 new wards in 2022, Cash for Work will become an even more important channel for empowering more communities and building financial resilience, one step toward reaching the country’s target of a financial inclusion index of 70% by 2025.