Kembuje Nyodema Kafo: A means for women to Socialise and help each other Financially
kembuje women during their weekly gathering 
Sarata Colley Kafo BamaaOn Friday, 9th August 2024, SheTale Media paid a visit to the formidable Nyodema Kafo (group) of Brikama Kembuje to hear about their local microfinance scheme, locally referred to as “tegoo” and how women use this gathering to socialise amongst themselves and help each other out financially.
Sarata Colley, Kafo Baama (the group leader) said the group was set up ten years ago for the women to come together, Socialise and help each other out financially during difficulties.
She said initially, when they started, they used to engage in tie and dye and soap making. She said the money they realised from that, they used it to buy materials such as Cooking utensils, chairs, and other materials used during social ceremonies.
She added that they will give these things to women during ceremonies at no cost to them. When a female member uses these materials, they will only pay for the things that were damaged as a replacement. She said women used the materials during ceremonies, and when the ceremony was over, they washed the cooking utensils, cleaned the chairs and returned them.
She said if it is a naming, wedding or any other social ceremony, they charge the women one Dalasis per chair but if it is a burial, it is free.
She said each year, they saved up money in their piggy bank, and by the end of the year or during occasions like Ramadan, they would break it open for everyone to see and decide what to do with the money. She said they also give loans to their members from the money saved in the piggy bank during emergencies.
She said the routine continues until the last person gets her money.
She said the second one happens when a member has a social ceremony, they will gather and contribute D110 as agreed by members and give it to the person. The D10 goes to the workers who cook and clean during the ceremony.
She said to make sure that there is discipline and that no one will collect her money and refuse to continue, there are strict laydown rules that every member has to follow. She said one of them is the latecomer's fee and the fee attached to those who are absent without any tangible reason.
Mrs. Sarata said they have more than 200 women in the group. She said some of the members are petty traders who sell vegetables and other food items in the Brikama market, while some are gardeners and farmers, and that’s where they get their source of income to meet the demands of the Kafo.
She said they don’t have a women’s Garden in Kembuje. She said the women who are involved in the Gardening go to the forest on the outskirts of the village to find a spot and plant their vegetables.
She said it is an open space and sometimes animals will graze through and destroy their vegetables.
She said the petty traders who wake up at dawn to rush to Brikama Market to sell their goods do not have a permanent stall. She said they either look for a spot and sit there to sell their goods and when they are chased from there, they roam around the market to sell their goods. She said they do not have a market in Kembuje and that is why their women go to the main market in Brikama to sell their goods.
She said during the rains, transportation becomes difficult for them and their children who go to school in other parts of Brikama.
She said they will need help from the Government, philanthropists, NGOs and the Private sector so they can have land that is fenced with boreholes allocated to them for gardening.
She said, “We used the farms in the forest to do gardening after the rains, and you will work on your vegetables until you have hope for a bumper harvest, and cattle will come and eat everything in a day because it is an open space with no fence”.
She said the women are hardworking,g and when they have a functional Garden that is fenced with water, they will work hard and grow vegetables to sell, feed their families and take care of household bills.
Sarata Colley, Kafo Baama (the group leader) said the group was set up ten years ago for the women to come together, Socialise and help each other out financially during difficulties.
She said initially, when they started, they used to engage in tie and dye and soap making. She said the money they realised from that, they used it to buy materials such as Cooking utensils, chairs, and other materials used during social ceremonies.
She added that they will give these things to women during ceremonies at no cost to them. When a female member uses these materials, they will only pay for the things that were damaged as a replacement. She said women used the materials during ceremonies, and when the ceremony was over, they washed the cooking utensils, cleaned the chairs and returned them.
She said if it is a naming, wedding or any other social ceremony, they charge the women one Dalasis per chair but if it is a burial, it is free.
She said each year, they saved up money in their piggy bank, and by the end of the year or during occasions like Ramadan, they would break it open for everyone to see and decide what to do with the money. She said they also give loans to their members from the money saved in the piggy bank during emergencies.
She said this year, during Ramadan, the women decided that they wanted to use the money to buy foodstuffs and gave it out as loans to the members, but at the executive level, they met and discussed and decided to buy the foodstuffs and distributed it amongst the members for free because the money belongs to them.
She added that their microfinance scheme is in two folds. She said they have a weekly contribution where women will each bring a certain amount of money and their names are called accordingly. She said when you hear your name, you come forward and pay your money and after that, there will be a ballot where they will bring out folded papers containing the names of all those who did not receive their money and they will call a kid to pick out one from the lot and whoever names was written on the paper emerged the winner who goes home with the money that week.
She said the routine continues until the last person gets her money.
She said the second one happens when a member has a social ceremony, they will gather and contribute D110 as agreed by members and give it to the person. The D10 goes to the workers who cook and clean during the ceremony.
She said to make sure that there is discipline and that no one will collect her money and refuse to continue, there are strict laydown rules that every member has to follow. She said one of them is the latecomer's fee and the fee attached to those who are absent without any tangible reason.
Mrs. Sarata said they have more than 200 women in the group. She said some of the members are petty traders who sell vegetables and other food items in the Brikama market, while some are gardeners and farmers, and that’s where they get their source of income to meet the demands of the Kafo.
She said they don’t have a women’s Garden in Kembuje. She said the women who are involved in the Gardening go to the forest on the outskirts of the village to find a spot and plant their vegetables.
She said it is an open space and sometimes animals will graze through and destroy their vegetables.
She said there is no borehole there, and the only source of water is to dig a well, which always collapsed due to sand invasion.
She said the petty traders who wake up at dawn to rush to Brikama Market to sell their goods do not have a permanent stall. She said they either look for a spot and sit there to sell their goods and when they are chased from there, they roam around the market to sell their goods. She said they do not have a market in Kembuje and that is why their women go to the main market in Brikama to sell their goods.
She said during the rains, transportation becomes difficult for them and their children who go to school in other parts of Brikama.
She said they will need help from the Government, philanthropists, NGOs and the Private sector so they can have land that is fenced with boreholes allocated to them for gardening.
She said, “We used the farms in the forest to do gardening after the rains, and you will work on your vegetables until you have hope for a bumper harvest, and cattle will come and eat everything in a day because it is an open space with no fence”.
She said the women are hardworking,g and when they have a functional Garden that is fenced with water, they will work hard and grow vegetables to sell, feed their families and take care of household bills.
Author: Halimatou Ceesay
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