The Mastercard Foundation Savings Learning Lab is a six-year initiative implemented by Itad, in partnership with the SEEP Network. The aim of the Savings Learning Lab is to support learning among the Foundation’s savings portfolio partners through the generation, synthesis and dissemination of knowledge, as well as the improved alignment of monitoring and results measurement systems.
Savings Learning Lab partner organizations implement savings-focused financial inclusion programs across Africa. Active partners are Scale2Save (formerly Making Small Scale Savings Work), an initiative implemented by the World Savings and Retail Banking Institute and Savings at the Frontier (SatF) led by Oxford Policy Management. Partners who have now completed their programs are CARE Canada, Catholic Relief Services, and the United Nations Capital Development Fund.
The SEEP Network provides the Savings Learning Lab with a structured platform to capture, share and advance knowledge through its practitioner networks and events.
As the learning and dissemination partner within the Mastercard Foundation Savings Learning Lab, SEEP leads activities in three main areas:
Global Savings Groups Conference
Since 2011, SEEP has been an active contributor to the Global Savings Groups Conference series. The biennial global event engages a large and diverse community of stakeholders, develops and promotes improved standards of practice, mobilizes knowledge, strengthens partnerships and alliances, and creates opportunities for cross-organizational collaboration and learning. With support from the Savings Learning Lab, SEEP hosted SG2018 in Kigali, Rwanda, engaging over 450 participants representing 195 organizations from 48 countries.
The following edition SG2020: The Future of Savings Groups was to be hosted in March 2020 and unfortunately cancelled due to the onset of the global pandemic. Recordings of preserved sessions are now publicly available on the SG2020 website.
Peer Learning Groups
A Peer Learning Group is an experiential learning methodology, developed by SEEP, to address opportunities and challenges in dynamic contexts. Over a period of 6-12 months, a small group of stakeholders design, test, and exchange knowledge on strategies to address a common opportunity or challenge. With support from the Savings Learning Lab, SEEP facilitated two Peer Learning Groups on savings-led financial inclusion.
Commercial Relationships between Savings Groups and Financial Service Providers
The Role of Savings Groups in Supporting Graduation from Social Safety Nets
Knowledge Sharing and Dissemination
With support from the Savings Learning Lab, SEEP has established the Mango Tree, the global resource on Savings Groups, and will convene over 40 in-person and virtual learning events.
Aug 27, 2019 | The SEEP Network
View presentation View Questions & Answers Across sub-Saharan Africa, young people account for half of the financially excluded. In Northern Africa, they represent a smaller proportion bu…
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