In 1999, Peace Corps Ecuador piloted a savings group programme called Programa de Ahorro y Crédito (PAC). In 11 years, it has grown to approximately 50,000 members in 1,500 savings groups, with very little programme investment and resources. A study by Freedom from Hunger shows that members have found many social and financial benefits through participation in the savings groups, have adapted the methodology to meet their needs, and are independently motivated to expand access by recruiting and assisting other community members to form new groups. While the study concludes with recommendations for strengthening savings group programmes, the continued existence of many mature PAC groups that received only minimal initial training and the high rate of replication of groups demonstrates that savings groups can be a popular and highly sustainable way to provide accessible and low cost financial services to the poor.

Allen, H. (2002) CARE International's Village Savings & Loan Programmes in Africa: Micro Finance for the Rural Poor that Works, CARE, Tanzania.

Allen, H. and Panetta, D. (2010) Savings Groups: What Are They? The SEEP Network, Washington, DC.

Ashe, J. and Parrott, L. (2002) ‘PACT's Women's Empowerment Program in Nepal’, Journal of Microfinance 4: 137-62.

Bogan, S. and Kelley, M. (2002) Community Banking Evaluation PAC, Peace Corps, Ecuador.

Chaia, A., Dalal A., Goland, T., Gonzalez, M., Morduch, J. and Schiff, R. (2009) Half the World is Unbanked, Financial Access Initiative Framing Note, Financial Access Initiative, New York.

Schreiner, M. (2008) A Simple Poverty Scorecard for Ecuador [online], available from: http://www.microfinance.com/English/Papers/Scoring_Poverty_Ecuador_EN_2005.pdf [accessed 14 January 2011]. http://www.microfinance.com/English/Papers/Scoring_Poverty_Ecuador_EN_2005.pdf

Wilson, K. and Burpee, G. (2008) Filling the Blue Box: Mutuelles, Self-financing and Financial Services in the South of Haiti, Feinstein International Center, Tufts University, Medford, MA.

Allen, H. (2002) CARE International's Village Savings & Loan Programmes in Africa: Micro Finance for the Rural Poor that Works, CARE, Tanzania.

Allen, H. and Panetta, D. (2010) Savings Groups: What Are They? The SEEP Network, Washington, DC.

Ashe, J. and Parrott, L. (2002) ‘PACT's Women's Empowerment Program in Nepal’, Journal of Microfinance 4: 137-62.

Bogan, S. and Kelley, M. (2002) Community Banking Evaluation PAC, Peace Corps, Ecuador.

Chaia, A., Dalal A., Goland, T., Gonzalez, M., Morduch, J. and Schiff, R. (2009) Half the World is Unbanked, Financial Access Initiative Framing Note, Financial Access Initiative, New York.

Schreiner, M. (2008) A Simple Poverty Scorecard for Ecuador [online], available from: http://www.microfinance.com/English/Papers/Scoring_Poverty_Ecuador_EN_2005.pdf [accessed 14 January 2011]. http://www.microfinance.com/English/Papers/Scoring_Poverty_Ecuador_EN_2005.pdf

Wilson, K. and Burpee, G. (2008) Filling the Blue Box: Mutuelles, Self-financing and Financial Services in the South of Haiti, Feinstein International Center, Tufts University, Medford, MA.

Allen, H. (2002) CARE International's Village Savings & Loan Programmes in Africa: Micro Finance for the Rural Poor that Works, CARE, Tanzania.

Allen, H. and Panetta, D. (2010) Savings Groups: What Are They? The SEEP Network, Washington, DC.

Ashe, J. and Parrott, L. (2002) ‘PACT's Women's Empowerment Program in Nepal’, Journal of Microfinance 4: 137-62.

Bogan, S. and Kelley, M. (2002) Community Banking Evaluation PAC, Peace Corps, Ecuador.

Chaia, A., Dalal A., Goland, T., Gonzalez, M., Morduch, J. and Schiff, R. (2009) Half the World is Unbanked, Financial Access Initiative Framing Note, Financial Access Initiative, New York.

Schreiner, M. (2008) A Simple Poverty Scorecard for Ecuador [online], available from: http://www.microfinance.com/English/Papers/Scoring_Poverty_Ecuador_EN_2005.pdf [accessed 14 January 2011]. http://www.microfinance.com/English/Papers/Scoring_Poverty_Ecuador_EN_2005.pdf

Wilson, K. and Burpee, G. (2008) Filling the Blue Box: Mutuelles, Self-financing and Financial Services in the South of Haiti, Feinstein International Center, Tufts University, Medford, MA.