Financial Education Project by ACCOSCA and DSIK

ACCOSCA’s partnership with the Deutsche Sparkassenstiftung für internationale Kooperation, known regionally as the German Sparkassenstiftung Eastern Africa (DSIK), is an ongoing capacity development and financial education initiative that began in 2019 and is expected to continue through 2027.

The partnership was conceived around a clear and enduring need: while ACCOSCA works to strengthen SACCOs across Africa, achieving that goal requires both stronger institutional foundations within the cooperative movement and greater financial literacy among the individuals and enterprises that SACCOs ultimately serve. DSIK, drawing on its expertise in savings bank development and financial sector strengthening in Germany and beyond, was well positioned to support ACCOSCA in both respects.

From the outset, the partnership was designed with a dual focus.

At the institutional level, DSIK works alongside ACCOSCA on strategic planning and organizational development. This includes supporting the development and periodic review of ACCOSCA’s strategic plans, as well as providing training for member organizations on strategic management, board governance, risk management, and cybersecurity.

At the grassroots level, the partnership invests in financial literacy and entrepreneurial capability, with Kenya serving as the initial focus and a broader ambition to extend the model across Eastern Africa over time.

The partnership has made tangible progress on both fronts, advancing institutional capacity while expanding access to financial education at the community level.

• More than 20 Trainers of Trainers have been developed and equipped to deliver interactive “Business Games” workshops.
• These trainers have reached 91 SACCO members directly with training in basic economic principles and entrepreneurial skills.
• A baseline survey measuring financial literacy levels among SACCO members has been completed across Kenya.
• DSIK continues to participate in ACCOSCA’s flagship SACCA Congress, providing an ongoing platform for knowledge-sharing and networking on industry trends.

The Business Games workshops are designed to build financial and entrepreneurial thinking among cooperative members, extending the partnership’s impact from institutional capacity-building into the hands of individual SACCO members.

The completion of the financial literacy baseline survey provides an important foundation for future interventions, allowing training and support efforts to be more precisely targeted to identified knowledge and skills gaps among SACCO members.

Taken together, the partnership’s impact reflects a deliberate two-tiered approach to strengthening Africa’s cooperative financial sector.

At one level, it has begun to embed stronger governance, strategic planning, and risk management practices within ACCOSCA and its member associations, helping to build institutional resilience that is expected to strengthen over the life of the project.

At another level, it has started to extend financial literacy and entrepreneurial capability directly to SACCO members, laying the groundwork for more informed financial decision-making and stronger small business performance within local communities.

With the partnership still running through 2027, ACCOSCA and DSIK have described its underlying purpose plainly: to support ACCOSCA in its long-term efforts to empower SACCOs across Africa.

The results achieved so far reflect a partnership that is steadily advancing on multiple fronts, strengthening institutions, developing leaders, and expanding financial capability among SACCO members. Rather than seeking a single dramatic milestone, the partnership continues to build toward long-term and sustainable impact across the cooperative movement.