Building Resilience Through Community Empowerment: The Igbe VSLA Success Story
In Igbe, a community in Ikorodu Local Government Area of Lagos State, women farmers have long depended on small-scale agriculture for their livelihoods. When severe flooding destroyed farmlands, washed away produce, and disrupted income sources, many households were pushed into deeper economic vulnerability. Although a Village Savings and Loans Association (VSLA), which was set up by the women as a result of a training through the Strategic Partnership Agreement II Project, existed within the community to support resilience through savings, microloans, and collective empowerment, many women, some of them most affected by the floods, were unaware of its presence or potential benefits.
During a visit to the community by the project team to provide financial support to flood-affected women farmers, an unexpected transformation began. What started as a relief engagement turned into a moment of awareness and empowerment. As women shared their stories of loss and uncertainty, VSLA leaders explained how the group functioned, how members save together, access small loans, and rely on mutual support to rebuild their livelihoods. For many of the flood-affected farmers, this was their first encounter with the VSLA model, and it immediately shifted their perspective from crisis to possibility.
By the end of the session, 20 new women joined the Igbe VSLA, recognising it as a pathway not just for financial recovery but for long-term resilience, collective strength, and economic independence.
The project team’s engagement, initially focused on providing short-term financial relief, created the enabling environment for this shift. Through facilitated dialogue, community awareness, and direct interaction with VSLA leaders, the team helped women understand a practical and community-owned mechanism for rebuilding their livelihoods. The approach reflected the project’s core philosophy: empowering people as active partners in their own development, not passive recipients of aid.
The immediate registration of 20 new VSLA members demonstrates clear behavioural change and strengthened community ownership. Women who had previously been unaware of the group now described the VSLA as a lifeline for recovery and a foundation for future stability. VSLA leaders also reported increased interest, renewed participation, and stronger solidarity among members. The interaction reinforced that when communities are informed, organised, and empowered, resilience grows from within and transformation becomes self-sustaining.