96% of CUMO’s clients are within the poorest to upper poor category, surviving on a land holding of less that 2 Acres, with an education level lower than standard 5. At least 57% of them have little or no knowledge of business and do not access profitable markets. Most of our clients are, at the time of joining, those who have been struggling to feed their households and send their children to school. Malawi’s financial inclusion rates are amongst the lowest in sub-Saharan Africa and other low income countries in the world.

Our “unconventional” clients make group savings and we help them in ensuring that the savings process as well as records are conducted accurately and in line with rules they have set. We also provide the necessary references the group requires for opening group and individual savings accounts with banks (Standard Bank, the FDH Bank, the NBS Bank and First Merchant Bank, formerly Opportunity Bank of Malawi, OBM).

Group members lend one another the amounts they have saved and deposit balances not lent out into their group savings account. They then share accumulated savings and interest earned from the intra-group lending at the end of the loan cycle or end of the year depending on the group’s choice.

Through the facilitated savings program, our clients have multiplied their wealth and acquired essential assets (modern housing, furniture, bicycles, livestock and many more) and have been able to finance some of their farm input requirements for increased food security.