Women-led
Groups are owned, governed and led by their members, not by outsiders.
Try: “WASH”, “women's empowerment”, “Sierra Leone”, “climate resilience”.
Women in the communities we serve carry much of the work of the household and the local economy, yet too often lack access to capital, training and a say in decisions. Closing that gap is one of the most effective ways to reduce poverty for everyone.
SDI supports women through savings and loan groups, enterprise and vocational training, and leadership development. We pair economic opportunity with the confidence and networks women need to claim a stronger role at home and in public life.
These groups are owned and run by their members. Women elect their own leaders, set their own rules and reinvest their earnings, building assets and agency that stay rooted in the community.
Practical, community-led activities that turn commitment into measurable change.
Member-owned groups that turn small, regular savings into capital and credit.
Practical skills to start, run and grow small businesses that last.
Marketable trades that open new and reliable sources of income.
Connecting women entrepreneurs to buyers, suppliers and fair prices.
Money management skills that protect and grow hard-won gains.
Building the confidence and voice to lead at home, in business and in public life.
Networks where women support one another and share what works.
The same principles guide every SDI programme, shaping how we deliver this one.
Groups are owned, governed and led by their members, not by outsiders.
We combine income with the voice and agency to change decisions and norms.
We link women to financial services, suppliers and buyers for lasting livelihoods.
Savings, assets and skills remain with the group long after the programme ends.
Fatmata · Bombali, Sierra Leone
Fatmata joined a village savings group with a single goal: to stop borrowing at ruinous rates each lean season. Saving a little every week alongside other women, she took her first small loan to buy stock in bulk for her market stall. The margins she saved went back into the group and into her business. Two seasons later she took a larger loan, added a second product line, and began supplying two neighbouring stalls she now owns. Along the way she was elected treasurer, learning to keep the group's books and coach newer members through their first loans. Fatmata is quick to say the change was never charity. The capital was the group's own savings, the discipline was her own, and the confidence, she says, came from women deciding together that their futures were worth investing in.
Women in underserved communities, and by extension their households and local economies, as income and decision-making power grow.
Members save small amounts regularly into a shared fund, borrow from it at fair terms, and share the returns, building both capital and financial skills.
Yes. We engage men and community leaders so that women's economic and social gains are understood and supported at home and in public life.
Across our five countries of operation, adapting the model to each community's economy and context.
Partners can seed savings groups, fund enterprise training or scale the model. Contact us to explore options.
Resilient food systems so no household has to choose between meals and the future.
View ProgrammeClimate-smart farming that lifts smallholder yields and protects the land.
View ProgrammeSchools, learning resources and skills training that keep children and youth in the classroom.
View ProgrammeFund a specific activity, support the whole programme, or partner with SDI to reach more communities. Every contribution is invested in results we measure and share.