Enterprise Development Specialist for the National Local Government Finance Committee (NLGFC) Mirriam Saiwa says Community Savings and Investment Promotion (COMSIP) groups have the power to transform people’s lives if, coordination and dedication prevails.

Saiwa said this when she visited Tilitonse and Mayankho COMSIP groups in Balaka where she interacted with group members. She aid communities need to embrace COMSIP and work towards set goals, so that poverty is minimized.

Saiwa said time to wait for Government to always come to their rescue for economic assistance is over. ‘Communities should change their way of thinking by joining Savings and Loans groups which have proved to be the starting point for one’s development,’ said Saiwa.

“We have incorporated the concept of Sustainable Livelihoods in the Enhanced Public Works Program (EPWP) where we want to encourage communities to embrace a saving and investment culture through savings of part of their wages through the COMSIP groups and it is correct to say that these groups have room to change people’s lives”, Saiwa said.

She also encouraged all members to work hard in order to improve and sustain their livelihoods

In an interview Balaka District Community Development Officer Carol Nyalugwe hailed NLGFC for incorporating COMSIP in the program.

“This will indeed go a long way in developing the beneficiaries, and in turn poverty levels will be reduced,” she said.

Speaking earlier, Tilitonse COMSIP group chair, Fyness Jamali said they are working hard to operationalize their bakery business.

“We have raised some money which was used to acquire land and also goats which we share through pass on model. We also received a grant which was used to construct a bakery house, now we are working to have the bakery operationalised,” she said.

Saiwa said linkages to different players at local and other levels is an option to speed up their bakery business take off.