By Anthony Kayanda, The Citizen

Kigoma. Poor awareness on the benefits of village community banks (Vicoba) has been cited as a major source of household poverty in Kigoma Region.Vicoba, which aims at improving the livelihood and welfare of the community by empowering households, has not been fully utilised in the region, according to Mr Fidel Mbiha, the coordinator of Tanerela+, a non-governmental organisation serving people living with HIV in Kigoma.

He said the families in the region, unlike others in the rest of country, must be well informed about the benefits of community banks.

According to Mr Mbiha, Vicoba dedicates its services to the well being of poor people and vulnerable groups such as women, children, elderly people, the disabled, widows and orphans.

“The campaign to alleviate poverty in Kigoma has not been well executed, and this has led to extreme poverty for many families in the rural areas,” he said.

He said as one of the measures to address the problem, Tanerela+ has sponsored its three members on a tour to Manyara Region to learn how residents run village banks and other microfinance services.

He said sixty members of his organisation have acquired loans from Masanga Village Bank, something that would motivate other villagers to join Vicoba.