Mrs Douang Saysongkham is 41 years old. She lives in the Luang Prabang province in northern Laos. She has been a member of the Phonsavang Savings and Credit Union since 2009 and through the Credit Union, has been able to start a savings plan for her family.
As the chief of the village explained, Mrs Douang is from one of the poorest families in Hatkhang Village. She and her family dont have any permanent jobs. Her husband is a construction worker currently working on the construction of the Lao-China high speed train. Living away from home, he earns less than AUD$16 per pay.
The Savings and Credit Union (SCU) has helped Mrs Saysongkham to save. She is hoping one day to have enough money in SCU for her children so they have some capital to start their own business or help with their education. She believes in SCU as it is an organisation that provides loans without collateral and helps families like hers.