Merlin, a locality in downtown Jérémie, hosts the Union Group, a Village Savings and Loan Association (VSLA) with 23 active members (15 women and 8 men), established in December 2025. Members save weekly, review loan requests collectively, and monitor repayments.

Four members of the group, chaired by Maurice Chachon, share their experiences. Chachon is a former teacher, now involved in trade, and has two children. Merveille Marie Fabiola, 34, works as an agronomy technician while studying nursing, and Merveille Marie Lolie, in her twenties, is both a qualified nurse and a trader.

Edison Clerville is an agronomy technician who operates a phone business.

“I feel happy because they came to create this group, a great opportunity for us to move forward.”

The Union Group was formed in August 2025 after training sessions received in the context of the “Food Security through Food Voucher Transfers, Household and Community Gardens and Financial Inclusion in Camp-Perrin and Jérémie, Haiti” project, implemented by Arbeiter-Samariter-Bund (ASB) funded by Aktion Deutschland Hilft (ADH). The training covered VSLA methodology, focusing on group formation, savings and loan management, internal regulations, leadership roles, and gender equality.

Deciding on Their Rules Together

Several members of the Union Group have experience with various savings groups, noting that many operations were improvised, particularly regarding money management and credit terms. Maurice highlights that in the VSLA, principles were collaboratively established before the group’s formation. Merveille Marie Lolie, involved in other groups, identifies differences in principles, loans, and repayment structures.

People join the Union Group by invitation, guided by trust established through rules such as fixed meeting times and fines for tardiness. Members assess potential recruits based on their activities, with credit contingent on specific conditions outlined by Maurice.

“But it is important: To apply for a loan, we require information about your activities. […]You must have an activity that will enable you to repay the loan before it is issued’.

The credit ceiling is set at three times each member’s current savings, applicable to all members, including the chairperson. Maurice Chachon has utilized this limit fully through three loans. His initial loan, repaid in three installments, was used for education, allowing him to personally understand the training’s teachings. Now, he experiences the lessons learned from the group.

“Today, I am satisfied with the group created by ASB, as it has significantly taught me about managing my personal finances. […] I do not borrow excessively and have grown personally as a result.”

Credit to Support Businesses, Studies and Gardens

As of 24 September 2026, the 23 active members had secured 40 loans totaling 1,205,000 gourdes, with repayments of 402,000 gourdes already. Members contribute weekly between 250 and 1,250 gourdes to the fund. Credit sessions happen every four weeks to repay for three months, with a 5% service fee; interest is added to savings for profit sharing at the end of the group cycle.

The group possesses a social fund of 49,450 gourdes, distinct from individual loans, which can be utilized according to rules set by members during times of hardship for acts of solidarity.

Fabiola appreciates repaying in three installments.

“By repaying a portion monthly […] The money does not stay in your hands for long, allowing others who need to borrow to do so.”

Fabiola’s loans initially covered her school fees and subsequently supported her business development. Lolie also secured two loans, with the second enhancing her business operations.

“I took out a first loan, and I used part of it to settle school paperwork. With the rest, I started a business.”

Edison borrowed a single loan to revitalize his failing phone business.

“I ended up taking out a loan because my business was bankrupt; well, I am doing very well.”

Preparing for What Comes Next with Their Own Rules

During the project, an agent assists the group, but they will operate independently afterward. Ziño Charles, a certified private service provider, will help create and support savings groups until the project ends in December 2026. Maurice Chachon emphasizes that the project’s conclusion should not signal the group’s end.

“[…] we tell ourselves that we will not stop, we keep going at the same pace, and we keep applying the same principles that ASB gave us, because with these principles we make more effort, we save more money.”

In the neighborhood, Maurice indicates that most residents seek a place or institution to help them begin an activity. Meanwhile, the twenty-three members of the Union Group have already taken this step with their own established rules.