Mendefera — The inhabitants of Emni-Haili sub-zone said that village banks in the locality have made remarkable impact in improving the livelihood of the inhabitants on the basis of credit and the effort they make to nurture the norm of saving. Reports indicate that there exist a total of 17 village banks in the sub-zone.

Among the beneficiaries, Mr. Debesai Tewolde, Ms. Birikti Gebretinsae and Mr. Berhe Tekle expressed satisfaction with the service being rendered by such banks.

Ms. Nebiat Beraki, head of the Microcredit and Savings Program's branch in the sub-zone, explained that 10 out of the 17 village banks have already began working in autonomy, while the rest are still functioning under the umbrella of the program. She further pointed out that there exists impressive community awareness as regards utilization of credits from the banks.

The Program has around 4,000 beneficiaries in the locality, 95% of whom reportedly paid back their credit on time.