Project Plan: Sacco / Village Savings Management System
- Project Overview
Name: Jipange Sacco (suggested Swahili name, meaning "organize yourself") Goal: To digitize and simplify financial management for community savings groups (VSLAs, SACCOs), including tracking contributions, loans, interest, and balances.
Target Users:
Rural community savings groups (informal and semi-formal)
Sacco treasurers and secretaries
Members without smartphones
Key Features
Member Registration: Name, phone, group role, start date.
Savings Tracking: Regular contributions, penalties, missed payments.
Loan Management: Loan issuance, repayment tracking, interest calculations.
Interest & Dividends: Periodic interest earnings and group profit sharing.
Balance Reports: View individual and group-level balances.
USSD/SMS Interface: Access savings info without internet or smartphones.
Audit Logs: Transparent change history for accountability.
Offline Support: Offline mobile app for agents/field officers.
Timeline Phase Description Duration Research & Requirements Interviews with real SACCOs & VSLA groups 1 week UI/UX Design Simple interface for semi-literate users 1 week Backend Development Database, API for USSD/SMS 2 weeks Frontend Dev Web + offline-capable mobile app (PWA) 2 weeks USSD/SMS Setup Integration with local SMS/USSD aggregator 1 week Testing & Pilot Pilot in one village with real users 1 week Launch Scale to more groups & regions Ongoing
Tools & Technologies
Frontend: React, React Native / Flutter
Backend: Django / Node.js
Database: PostgreSQL / SQLite for offline mode
SMS/USSD Gateway: Africa’s Talking, Twilio, or Tanzanian telcos
Hosting: DigitalOcean / AWS (lightweight VPS)
📄 Software Requirements Specification (SRS)
- Introduction 1.1 Purpose
To enable rural savings groups to digitally manage contributions, loans, and member records, while supporting low-tech users via SMS and USSD. 1.2 Scope
The system will:
Record savings and loan transactions.
Automate interest calculations.
Support member queries via USSD/SMS.
Provide treasurer/admin dashboards.
System Features 2.1 Group & Member Management
Add/edit/delete groups and members.
Assign roles (Chairperson, Treasurer, Member).
2.2 Contribution Tracking
Record weekly/monthly contributions.
Apply penalties for missed payments.
2.3 Loan Issuance & Repayment
Issue loans with set interest and repayment schedule.
Track installments and calculate outstanding balances.
2.4 Reports & Statements
Member balances, group cash position, interest earned.
Exportable in PDF and CSV.
2.5 USSD/SMS Interface
USSD Menu:
Check Balance
View Loan Status
Submit Savings
Request Loan
SMS Commands:
Example: SAV 5000 to submit 5,000 TZS savings
2.6 Admin Dashboard
Add new groups, manage users, approve loans.
View transaction logs and send bulk SMS notifications.
Non-Functional Requirements
Availability: 24/7 with offline syncing support.
Security: PIN-protected USSD sessions, encrypted database.
Scalability: Capable of handling 10,000+ users.
Localization: Swahili and English support.
Resilience: Can function on low-end Android devices.
Architecture Overview
Web/Mobile App: For SACCO managers and agents.
API Layer: RESTful APIs to connect web/app/USSD/SMS.
USSD Gateway: Africa’s Talking / telco direct integration.
Database: PostgreSQL with periodic backups.
Constraints
Many users are not literate or tech-savvy.
Power and internet reliability may be low.
Telco integration (USSD) requires approval and licensing.
Assumptions
At least one tech-savvy leader or field officer per group.
Groups will be willing to standardize basic data entry.
SMS/USSD costs will be covered by the organization or donors.
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