During the implementation of the GTL project, financial literacy training was one of the topics in the curriculum which was very much embraced by the girls and in their testimonies, as many confessed that they did not know about saving because every coin they used to get, they would use it to buy luxuries. But with the onset of GTL skills training in saving especially, girls realized the need to save little by little for personal needs and future dreams/goals.  Since then, the girls have taken on saving seriously and as a result, four Girls VSLAs were formed in Bukakata, Buwunga and Kyesiiga.

These VSLAs were recommended at the villages and Sub County levels by local authorities and registered at the district and certificates of registration were issued with the help of PEDN and Opportunity Bank Uganda Limited. These were registered under the names below:

1. Nyondo Abalawa Abamalilivu Saving Group (VSLA) located in Kasaka Parish in Buwunga (10 AGYW members)
2. Magiri Mwana Muwala Kulembera Saving Group (VSLA) located in Kyesiiga Parish in Kyesiiga (40 AGYW members)
3. Girls Take Lead Bwami Saving Group (VSLA) located in Makonzi Parish in Bukakata (11 AGYW members)
4. Lwemodde Advanced Girls’ Saving Group (VSLA) located in Lwemodde in Kyesiiga (11 AGYW members)

All four (4) VSLAs above have opened groups accounts with Opportunity Bank Uganda Ltd.  Also, some girls have opened up individual bank accounts.

• One of the AGYW in Bukakata (Nakabonge Revine Violah–18years) managed to mobilize fishermen in Lamu landing site after going through the savings session and they started up a savings group called, “Dream Big Fishermen Development Savings Group” with 30 members by the time of monitoring where she is the Secretary and with the help of two of her relatives, they managed to register it at the Sub-county in Bukakata and they got a certificate. They had saved 300,000/= so far.

In total all girls in the project saved a combined amazing total of Seven Million Five Hundred and Thirty-Three Thousand Seven Hundred Ugandan Shillings (7,533,700/=), approx.1,714.156 Euros in three (3) months and majority would like to use their savings to start small businesses.

Local leaders and parents too have praised GTL project for its enormous benefits to vulnerable AGYW in Masaka. For example;

• The chairman Local Council 1 of Bwami (Buwunga subcounty) always closely followed and attended GTL; he was impressed by what he saw including the togetherness and team work exhibited by girls during project activities. He went ahead to offer his home compound as a training venue for club 4A and 4B and quite often the groups utilised his house as shelter whenever it rained.
• The Local Council 1 Defence member for Kayugi (Mukungwe subcounty) commended the discipline shown by the girls ever since they joined the project. He confessed that within his area, cases of misconduct and indecency involving girls especially those in the project had all of a sudden disappeared. He was full of praises and gratefulness for PEDN and GTL funders for impacting on the behaviours of girls which had reduced the risk of getting wasted away and indulging with men.
• The parent of Miracle Grace (club 1B in Ssunga) confessed about the improvement in the way she relates with her daughter. Her daughter’s behaviours have changed and she take more responsibility unlike before she joined the project.
• The parents and local leaders appreciated that the girls are now saving some money and they have bigger dreams of starting up their own businesses and some girls have already started up small businesses for a low as 10,000/= to 20,000/= which they used to think could not do anything.

The parents and local leaders at the landing sites of Bukakata and Ddimo noted that the girls had reduced moving aimlessly, they had purpose, and had started small businesses like making and selling toasted bread, selling deep fried fish and making fruit salads. Toasted bread and fruit salad were new ventures in the community which meant that they could fetch some money for the girls.