The NOW Learning: A Blue Print for a Transformed Home

This story was originally told by Hawa Saffa.

Translated and written by Philemon McSenesie, Community Action Program Officer

Ngolahun is a community of nearly 2,000 people situated in Kailahun district, eastern Sierra Leone. Hawa Saffa is a 45-year-old business woman and a Nurturing Opportunity for Women (NOW) participant. She is also a widow with five children who lives in Ngolahun with her family.

Before the NOW program in Ngolahun, Hawa lacked knowledge in savings and budgeting and household financial management.  She was not able to calculate her business finances because she did not understand the symbols for money. She had no idea on how to manage business finances so as such, she found it difficult to calculate her business expenses, income and profit.   She was always cheated in her business transactions. Hawa’s situation was so terrible, and she suffered a lot of intimidation from her fellow women. Hawa mainly depended on taking loans from individuals to solve major financial problems like her children’s education, family health care and food to feed the children. At the end of harvesting season, after paying her loans, the family would go back to a ‘zero position’ with no finance to upkeep them.

During Hawa’s participation in the NOW program, two activities inspired Hawa to take a new direction in her life. In the first phase of NOW, the progress chart taught her to do savings and budgeting.  In the second phase of program, NOW: Business Skills, she learned how to calculate profit from a story about a woman who sold pumpkins.

Hawa as a single parent finds it challenging to save because of her low income. However, Hawa was motivated by the profit exercises in NOW: Business Skills which clearly explained about expenses, income, profit, then business savings and household savings. “The NOW learning has helped me know ways to maximize profit in my business” Hawa stated.  

Hawa started doing savings in three different places and purposes: business savings for the expansion of her business, household savings, and saving for emergencies. After completing the NOW program, Hawa started a business selling porridge and can now budget and save. Hawa started saving Le 5,000 ($0.50) in her business savings daily, Le 3,000 ($0.30) for household savings daily, and Le 10,000 ($1) in the village savings and loan scheme weekly. As a means of managing household expenses, Hawa started practicing budgeting before going to purchase household items at the market. Hawa’s knowledge began to grow, and she realized that some of her friends are keen to understand the knowledge, looking at the current position she is in. “My friends are keen to learn from me. I will explain key benefits of NOW learning, so that they can personally grow”. Hawa extended the NOW learning to Isatu Bundor at her home in the same community. Hawa taught Isatu about savings, and this learning has helped her to invest in palm oil business.

Hawa’s increased knowledge in savings helped change her situation and also transformed another woman’s life. Hawa can now save, manage her finances and make good business decisions. She said, “my savings culture has helped me solve my family problems, including my children’s welfare.”.

Hawa is now a successful small businesswoman with a wealth of knowledge in business and financial management skills. “I am now confident to run a business successfully with the new skills I have acquired from the NOW learning,” Hawa said. As such, Hawa is now a role model for other women to follow.

“The culture of savings and budgeting saw me through my struggle, as it is the tool for my success. Through the NOW learning, I plead to other women to embrace change”.