Peer Learning Group: Savings Groups in Emergencies

Background 

Over 300 million people around the world live in fragile contexts, with nearly 26 million refugees fleeing conflict and scarcity. With historically high numbers of people living in crisis – for increasingly protracted periods of time – SEEP is committed to supporting people’s ability to navigate crises, sustain economic security and ultimately recover, despite the challenges they face. 

Savings Groups in Emergencies  

Savings Groups are one of the most widespread community development initiatives worldwide. Over the past 25 years, thousands of NGOs and local civil society organizations have mobilized and trained Savings Groups across 75 countries, with an estimated 20 million active members. 

A growing body of evidence demonstrates that Savings Groups have a consistently positive impact on household savings, access to credit, business investment, food security, and social and market networks, and women’s self-confidence. Based on this experience, there is growing interest in Savings Groups within humanitarian planning and response.  

Learning Needs and Priorities  

From April to November 2021, the SEEP Network will facilitate a peer learning group on Savings Groups in Emergencies. 

The group will: 1) generate, consolidate and disseminate evidence on best practices related to Savings Groups in emergencies; and 2) strengthen alliances between community-based microfinance and humanitarian specialists. 

Some of the questions that will be explored include: 

• How should standard methodologies be adapted in crisis settings? 
• How can Savings Groups engage with, support, or even lead local humanitarian response efforts? 
• How can Savings Groups serve as both an entry point into communities for emergency response, and improve economic resilience in members and communities when humanitarian aid is inevitably reduced or eliminated?  
  
  

Active Learning Period

This Peer Learning Group is designed to run for a period of 8 months. Group members met virtually in late April 2021 to define the PLG learning agenda and work plan and will hold a monthly videoconference through to November 2021.