Training Consultant: Village Savings and Loans Associations (VSLA) Training of Trainers Workshop at Solidaridad West Africa, Nigeria

Training Consultant: Village Savings and Loans Associations (VSLA) Training of Trainers Workshop

Solidaridad West Africa (SWA) is part of Solidaridad Network, a Dutch international not-for-profit organization, with its regional office in Accra Ghana, and active country offices in Nigeria, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast and Ghana. Solidaridad Network has over 50 years of experience in supporting sustainable development of farmers and production systems across the globe focusing on enhancing the value chains of both fresh and processed agricultural and other non-agricultural commodities. In Nigeria, SWA Country Office is located in Enugu, Enugu State.

The NISCOPS project aims to create a framework through existing National Initiatives, and possibly contribute to (climate) policy objectives, and access to the market through testing and scaling sustainable and climate-smart oil palm cultivation by smallholders. Additionally, Solidaridad through the project aims to support smallholder oil palm farmers and to promote access to financing, agro-inputs, climate-smart technologies, and markets so as to increase sustainable productivity, build resilience to climate change and to reduce GHG emissions in Nigeria.

SWA Nigeria is implementing community-based agricultural value chain enhancement programs in Nigeria focusing on smallholder farmers, women and youth in Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Enugu, Kaduna, Kano, and Kogi states. Solidaridad is seeking the services of a consultant to facilitate VSLA training for project beneficiaries and staff. The overall objective of the training is to build the capacity of the trainees to implement community-based social safety net interventions using the village savings and loans association (VSLA) approach. The training will cover the following topics:

Establishment: Overview and feature of VSLA, Procedure for establishment

Membership: General and specific conditions, Active and Inactive membership;

Leadership and Governance: Leadership and organizational skills, VSLA governance structure, Village supervisors, Management Committees, Central working Committee; Joint Forum of management Committees, Forfeiture of membership. Qualification to be part of the VSLA federation;

VSLA Coordination and Operations: tasks and conditions; social fund, share purchase rule (saving fund); lending rule (loan fund); loan repayment (loan fund); loan repayment rule

Tools and templates for implementing, monitoring and evaluating VSLAs

Acquiring Financial literacy in 

Equipment required by VSLA groups and their uses

VSLA approach monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning

Group dynamics, savings and credits and marketing

Terms of Reference:

• Conduct a 6-day ToT on VSLA within the contexts of smallholder agriculture in Nigeria. The training must comprise theory and practical/hands-on field-based sessions.
• Build the capacity of trainers via theory and practice on the processes of VSLA formation, financial literacy and seasonal calendar, VSLA sustainability and social inclusion.
• Provide a VSLA manual that can be operationalized by trainees with the farmer groups
• Provide a guide on how to facilitate Group and Community-based business plans that links farmer groups, women groups and youth groups to effective business opportunities and credit facilities.
• Focus the outcomes of SWA VSLAs as Green, inclusive and socially accountable.

Deliverables:

• Training Manual to be submitted ten days before the planned workshop 
• Conduct 1 cohort training for 25 -30 persons using participatory training approaches and appropriate visuals
• Provide necessary VSLA templates and links to resource materials
• Submit a Training Report at least a week after the end of the workshop.

Minimum Qualifications:

• University degree, in a relevant discipline
• Experience with agricultural value chain and sustainable livelihoods capacity building.
• Extensive theoretical and practical experience of VSLA methodology in humanitarian and development contexts
• Understanding of inclusive and “Green” perspectives to VSLA
• Experience with NGO/ INGO operations across various geopolitical contexts in any part of the Northern and Southern Nigeria
• Excellent analytical and report writing skills
• Demonstrated understanding of community-based social safety net interventions for households with low levels of education
• Commitment to and understanding of Solidaridad’s values and principles