One of the initiatives of the Government to enhance teachers’ socio-economic development was to establish Umwalimu Sacco through the Teacher Service Commission (TSC).Umwalimu Sacco teachers’ saving and credit cooperative, grants loans to teachers to enable them set up small income generating projects to supplement their income.It has given teachers access to finance through loans with lowinterest rates and many are now engaged in income generating activities.Teachers say the Umwalimu SACCO is on the right course and that it has to a large extent achieved its mission.“I secured a loan worth 1.5 million from Umwalimu Sacco. This helped us with my husband to raise enough capital to start a timber business in Gacingiro, Gisozi. Currently, we own a house from the money generated out of this business,” said Chantal Bazubagira, a teacher at CEAPS a public nursery school in Nyarugenge district.She explained that with the proceeds for the business, they managed to buy a house in Kagarama Sector, Kicukiro District at Rwf 2.8 million.“We never expected to own a house in Kigali because I have seen many teachers even those teaching in secondary schools failing to build one, yet they earn more than we do,” she said.Bazubagira’s husband, Ephraim Niyonsenga, said that, “It is very important that families or couples plan together not only for other family issues, but even financial matters.”Domitille Rwimo, a teacher at Ecole St Joseph in Kicukiro spoke proudly about the Umwalimu SACCO and there is a reason. “I was so worried and felt ashamed before my children and family members to retire without anything to prove I once worked in my life,” said Rwimo. She revealed that for the last 32 years she had been in service, she had nothing valuable to show until last year. She said that the first loan she secured was Rwf 2 million, and after servicing it, she requested for Rwf 3.9m and later Rwf 4.2 million and life together with her family has improved.“I managed to construct a 3- bedroom house with a kitchen. I am now renting it out at Rwf 200, 000 per month,” Rwimo revealed. The 58-year says that she is now a happy teacher and encourages other teachers to take advantage of Umwalimo SACCO.The cooperatives` General Manager, Joseph Museruka, said that the two teachers are part of the 35,000 members the cooperative gave loans last year.“We increased the money we gave out in 2010 from Rwf 10.5 billion to Rwf19 billion,” said Museruka.He explained that the cooperative plans to extend loans to 50,000 members and that this is estimated to cost about Rwf 30 billion.However, he pointed out that despite efforts and achievements registered, there are still challenges.Museruka further said that some teachers have deliberately refused to pay after securing loans. He said that the problem mainly is with some teachers who change from one school to another.“But we have made arrangements and communicated to the responsible authorities and their employers something that gives us hope of recovering this money,” he said.He also pointed out that there is also need for government to continue exempting the cooperative from paying taxes for the next three years for it to develop. During the cooperatives` general assembly recently, it was announced that the cooperative made a profit of Rwf 700,033,594 in 2011 up from Rwf 64,987,021 registered in 2010.
