Displaced by strife, Nigerian women pool meagre earnings to build their own safety net

As the sewing machine hums, Hafsatu Hamman focuses on the fabric in front of her, carefully guiding it through the machine to keep the stitches in line.

This is a typical day at Hamman’s tin shack, where she sews clothes for residents of the Wassa displacement camp in the Nigerian capital, Abuja, for an average of 300 Nigerian naira ($0.3) a set – akin to the price of a small loaf of bread. Before the end of the month, she is expected to contribute ₦ 4,000 ($5.20) to her Adashe group.

“We have a group of about 15 women. Everyone contributes ₦1,000 a week, but if that amount is too much, you can contribute what you can afford,” Hamman explained, speaking in the Hausa language commonly used in West Africa. “We understand that not everyone has the same means.”

Adashe is the Hausa word for a traditional form of association whereby people contribute a certain amount of money that is then pooled and shared among the group’s members. The practice is believed to have originated in Nigeria before spreading across West and Central Africa, as far as the Caribbean. However, similar money clubs are common all over the world. The pooled earnings can be a lifeline during emergencies and a way to...

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