The baseline assessment and mapping exercise provides the first consolidated national overview of Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs) and other savings group models operating across Sierra Leone. VSLAs are self-managed structured community-based savings groups in which members regularly mobilise savings into a common fund from which internal loans are provided to members, operating through agreed rules, elected leadership and defined savings cycles. The analysis integrates quantitative survey data with qualitative evidence from focus group discussions conducted with 95 VSLA groups across the 16 districts, alongside interviews with financial service providers, NGOs and other ecosystem actors. Overall, the findings confirm that savings groups represent one of the most significant community-based financial inclusion mechanisms in the country. Among the 1,020 savings groups assessed, VSLAs accounted for 63.2%, followed by ASCAs (25.2%) and ROSCAs (11.6%), indicating the dominant role of the VSLA model in community financial intermediation.
Most savings groups operate in rural areas, where approximately 74% of groups are located, highlighting the continued importance of community-based financial institutions in contexts where access to formal banking services remains limited. In addition, about 85% of groups were found to be operationally active, demonstrating strong institutional continuity and member engagement.
These findings indicate that savings group- particularly VSLAs- have become important grassroots financial institutions capable of mobilising savings, providing internal credit, and supporting local economic development.
