Saving Together Rising together - When Women Save, Community Grows

Ma Maw Maw Hmwe lives in a quiet farming village nestled between Pwintbyu and Salin townships in Myanmar’s Magway Region. Like many others in her community, her family of eight depends almost entirely on agriculture to survive. Together with her husband and six children, they cultivate rice, beans, and sesame on a small plot of land passed down through generations. With increasingly unpredictable weather patterns and volatile market prices, farming has become a constant gamble. Each season brings new uncertainties, making it harder to ensure that there are stable income and enough food on the table. “Some years, we have good yields, but the next year, a flood or drought wipes everything out. We never know what’s coming, - Ma Maw Maw explains. “I used to worry about how we could afford everything just from our farming income, she said quietly. It never seemed enough.

Her journey of change began in early 2024 when she heard about a women’s savings group in her village called Khant Kaw supported by FAO Myanmar. “Curious but unsure, I attended an informal meeting where the group’s management committee explained how it worked: each member contributes small, regular savings, which are pooled together into a community fund. From this fund, members can access low-interest loans, earn annual dividends, and even use the capital to start or expand small businesses. Encouraged by the members of the groups and due to my strong desire for change, I decided to join the saving credit group”, she explains proudly.

“I felt like we had some control over our income – not just waiting for the favorable weather conditions and better market price for our farm produces”, she said.

“At first, I thought, how could I save anything when I already didn’t have enough?” she recalled. “But I joined the bi-weekly meetings anyway. Later I realized the savings amount was not imposed from outside – it was set by the members themselves based on what they could realistically afford. And that’s when everything started to change.”

These gatherings became more than just a place to save money. They evolved into spaces of learning, confidence building, and mutual support. Women shared farming tips, discussed household challenges, and encouraged each other to try new ideas. During the first saving cycle, Ma Maw Maw Hmwe took out a small loan of 100 000 MMK (approximately 22 USD). With limited business experience and skills, she decided to reinvest it into her farmland - buying better-quality seeds and small tools to improve her yield. It wasn’t a big amount, she said, but it gave me a sense of control I’d never felt before.

But the real turning point came in the second saving cycle. The group received additional support from the FAO project to launch a group-owned business: a rice noodle-making enterprise. The support went beyond simply providing the machine — FAO also offered hands on technical training ensuring the women knew how to operate the noodle-making machine efficiently, maintain hygiene standards, and manage the small business effectively.

“Now, we can produce rice noodles right here in our village,” Ma Maw Maw Hmwe said proudly. “It’s much easier for local sellers, and even people preparing donations no longer have to travel far. Neighboring villages have started buying from us too. Our business is really growing. What once felt like a distant dream—financial independence, local entrepreneurship, and community prides - now becoming a reality”, she adds.

By the third cycle, Ma Maw Maw Hmwe was ready to take a bigger step. She took out a larger loan of 200 000 MMK (approximately 45 USD) and used it to start a small food stall - selling snacks and rice noodle salad at the village school canteen. Her business quickly took off. On most days, she earns a net daily profit of around 20 000 kyats (approximately 4.5 USD) – a meaningful income in her rural context. With that, she is able to repay her loan on time, cover daily household expenses and even put aside savings for her family’s future.

“This group changed my life,” she shared. “I never imagined I could run a small noodle shop. And at the same time, I’m also a part of the Taw Win Thazin rice noodle group business. Now, I feel confident and independent.”

Her story—and that of the women behind the Taw Win Thazin rice noodle business—is a powerful example of what happens when rural women are given the tools, trust, and training to lead. Together, they are creating new opportunities not just for themselves, but for their entire community.

Their journey contributes directly to FAO’s strategic result: Better Life—supporting inclusive rural transformation, strengthening women’s resilience, and advancing the right to food and decent livelihoods in one of Myanmar’s most vulnerable regions.

*This story was originally published on the FAO website.