Self-help groups as resilient, humanitarian actors

Tearfund Rwanda was awarded a grant in September 2020 to run a Covid-19 adaptation project that would restore the losses faced by self-help groups (SHGs) due to the pandemic and subsequent lockdown and strengthen the resilience of the existing SHG model.

The project used three innovative approaches: offering a revolving loan; incentivising the provision of social protection to vulnerable community members; and supporting groups to develop disaster response funds to build resilience and preparedness to disasters.

This briefing paper shares key insights about SHG recovery and resilience.