Field Work #2

From Monday October 14^th to Friday the 18^th, a team of us from Care carried out the main task I was engaged to do.  My title is “Local Economic Multiplier Advisor” and I was asked to understand the LM3 methodology (invented by the New Economics Foundation, a London based think tank), then write a research study proposal, design a survey, carry it out and calculate the results and write a report.  Last week was the carrying out of the survey.  So, 5 of us piled into a small Mazda pickup truck and drove the 6.5 hours from Lusaka to Livingstone.  We met the 2 local surveyors we had hired (Josephine and Mioba), picked up the local government rep and on Tuesday morning 8 of us headed out to visit several local villages to carry out our survey.  I was so cool to actually see all this work in action and incredible to actually be part of the survey team!  How did 8 of us fit in a pickup?  With several in the back of course, including me an Andrew.  

Four days of bumping down dusty dirt “roads” in the Mukuni ward of Kazungula district ensued. 

We first surveyed VSLA (village savings and loan association) members to see how they spent the money they borrowed and the interest they earned as members.  Everything in Zambia follows a certain protocol and although sometimes frustrating, it is very warm, welcoming and kind and we could certainly learn a thing or two from it.  When we arrived in a village, the group assembled would typically sing us a welcome song and then we would do a “receiving line” of sorts where we would all shake everyone’s hand.  We would then all sit down (us on those little homemade stools, the villagers on the sandy ground), say a prayer and then one by one introduce ourselves.   

Over the space of 4 days, I got to learn enough Tonga (the language of southern Zambia) to say “Mabuga buti” (good morning, how are you?), “Kabotu” (I’m fine), “Twalumba” (thank you).  “Mebondime” (my name is) and “debelega ku” (I work for).   This always sat well with people and I actually used it on our weekend activities – shocked tour guides would ask me how I learned to speak Tonga and it would turn out I had just been surveying their aunt or cousin.  Very cool.

Listening to members tell us how their lives had changed was incredible.  Many would say that they had never saved money before since they didn’t know how.  Also, no one had access to credit.  Now they could borrow money to send their kids to school or buy seeds to grow more vegetables, or cooking oil to start a fritter business.  Many people invested in very small businesses, generating enough return to repay the loans with interest.  One woman told me she didn’t do anything before, but when she saw her neighbours saving, she started growing vegetables to sell so that she could save money too. 

Lots and lots of people said their self respect and dignity had been raised.  Previously, their family and villagers looked down on them, because they always asked to borrowed money from family and friends that they couldn’t repay.  Now they could borrow from the VSLA and were seeing people come to them for loans!   One man told me he used his interest payout to buy his wife a mattress.  Next year he planned to buy one for his other wife!

We also surveyed Social Cash Transfer recipients.  These are people that had now begun receiving $12/month from the government in the last few years.  In Kazungula, the program targets those over 65.  A 73 year old told me that she no longer had to work in the fields because of the payment.  An 88 year old told me she no longer had to skip meals – and then told me sharply not to forget to print out my photo of her and send it to her!

After four days of long drives in the bed of a Mazda pickup, with the temperature approaching 40, and interviews with almost 100 people and several businesses (always outdoors, usually under a tree), the surveys were done!  It was very satisfying to get it completed – now for the drawing of conclusions and writing of reports.

I can draw a few conclusions already though: Village Savings and Loan Associations are an amazing construct.  They are changing the lives of people all over the world, bit by bit, allowing people to raise themselves out of poverty.  Social Cash Transfers give a first boost to those in extreme poverty and also allow people to gain a little dignity.

And, regardless of their situation, the people were all friendly, often laughing and singing and sometimes even making me learn the local dance...

Next installment – weekend of cheating death!