Barclays helps people in Katine, Uganda access savings and loans for the first time

With the help of Care Uganda, Barclays is working with Village Savings and Loans Associations (VSLAs). VSLAs are self-selected groups which pool their money into a fund, enabling members to borrow. The initiative will also help educate the villagers in basic business skills and financial literacy.


This component is part of Barclays three-year project, ‘Katine: it starts with a village’, in partnership with the African Medical and Research Foundation (AMREF) and The Guardian newspaper. Barclays is donating £1.5m, including £1m matching funds for Guardian reader donations. Since October 2007 Guardian readers have raised £787,481 for the project.

For more information see www.guardian.co.uk/katine