Likelemba is an
African solidarity
savings mechanism where several members put a certain sum of money in a "pot" and, every month, the total amount contained in the pot is then donated to one of the participating members - a sort of little
lottery
A lottery is a form of gambling that involves the drawing of numbers at random for a prize. Some governments outlaw lotteries, while others endorse it to the extent of organizing a national or state lottery. It is common to find some degree of ...
.
Example
Twelve people - typically women - put 100€ every month in their "likelemba pot".
* Month 1, member 1 - normally chosen by chance - gets 11 x 100€ = 1,100 €.
* Month 2, another member gets elected and rewarded with the 1,100 €, etc.
Benefits
The secret of the success of likelemba is its simplicity and formula whereby a lot of small amounts that every member can easily spare make one big prize. The winner has a fairly large amount with which he/she can do something extraordinary and, hopefully, break out of a financial circle of misery or difficult lifestyle.
External links
Likelemba according to congoforum.beLikelemba.doc on congoforum.be
Personal finance
Lotteries