Savings clubs are local, community-led groups that empower members to manage their resources (both financial and environmental) and provide training and support to households for long-term planning and investment which are critical for the well-being of their communities and the ecosystems they rely on. At Rare, savings clubs act as a steppingstone for rural communities to the formal economy, facilitating adoption of sustainable financial behaviors to prepare households to engage with financial institutions.
The first Rare savings clubs were introduced by Fish Forever in the Philippines in 2017 to provide small-scale fishing communities access to financial services. Since then, over 700 savings clubs have been established in six countries, reaching nearly 15,000 community members.
Los clubes de ahorro proporcionan herramientas que crean comunidades más resistentes, más capaces de recuperarse de las crisis sin recurrir a prácticas pesqueras o agrícolas insostenibles.
Hoy en día, para muchas comunidades rurales, los clubes de ahorro son la primera introducción de un hogar a un método sistemático para ahorrar, acceder a protecciones sociales y endeudarse mediante préstamos. Los clubes son también plataformas para que los miembros accedan a la formación financiera impartida por Rare, se conecten a los servicios financieros y aprendan sobre la creación de capacidades y el desarrollo de pequeñas empresas.
