lifetime in development has taught me that the only practical way to serve the poor at a scale that makes a differ­ence is to tap villagers’ organizational acumen and aspirations for a better life.

The skills that have enabled these villagers to survive exploitation, drought, and political adversity have been honed over centuries. In the face of uncertainty, their survival has always been “in their own hands.” The fight for survival goes beyond geographic areas and religions.

Savings groups have been promoted with equal success across Muslim Africa, Buddhist Asia, and Catholic Latin America because the prudent management of financial resources is a universal need. This chapter shows that the principles underpinning successful savings groups—relevancy, simplicity, extraordi­narily low cost, local control, no giveaways, and viral rep­lication—can be applied across the development spectrum. Interventions in education, agricultural development, public health, business education, political advocacy, conflict reso­lution, and women’s empowerment can be designed to reflect these principles. Hope is power.

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