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Finance and Accounting

Bookkeeping for SACCOs and Chamas

Keep accurate, transparent records for a chama, investment group or small SACCO, from contribution registers and loan schedules to member statements, year-end accounts and dividends.

Level
Beginner
Format
Written, self-paced
Length
About 6 hours
Lessons
15
Modules
4
Certificate
Yes, verifiable
Last updated
October 2026

About this course

Keep accurate, transparent records for a chama, investment group or small SACCO, covering contributions, loans, interest, dividends and member statements.

Self-paced written course: text lessons, practical exercises, module quizzes and a final project, delivered online. No video and no live tutor.

What you will learn

  • Set up contribution, fines and loan registers that agree with bank and mobile money statements.
  • Calculate loan interest on flat and reducing balance methods and build repayment schedules.
  • Reconcile group bank, paybill and wallet accounts every month.
  • Produce clear member statements showing shares, savings, loans and fines.
  • Prepare a simple income statement and balance sheet and share surplus fairly using weighted balances.
  • Apply controls that prevent fraud and prepare the group for audits and AGMs.

Curriculum

Module 1Group Finance Foundations4 lessons
  1. 1How Chamas, Investment Groups and SACCOs Differ4 min read Free preview
  2. 2Constitutions, By-Laws and Financial Rules4 min read
  3. 3Officials' Roles and Separation of Duties3 min read
  4. 4Group Bank and Mobile Money Accounts3 min read
  5. QuizModule quiz, 4 questions
Module 2Recording Contributions and Loans4 lessons
  1. 5Member Contribution Registers3 min read
  2. 6Recording Fines, Fees and Other Income3 min read
  3. 7Loan Applications, Approvals and Registers3 min read
  4. 8Calculating Loan Interest and Repayment Schedules3 min read
  5. QuizModule quiz, 4 questions
Module 3Accounts and Statements4 lessons
  1. 9Cash Book and Bank Reconciliation for Groups3 min read
  2. 10Member Statements and Share Balances3 min read
  3. 11Income Statement and Balance Sheet for a Group3 min read
  4. 12Calculating and Sharing Dividends and Interest on Deposits3 min read
  5. QuizModule quiz, 4 questions
Module 4Accountability and Growth3 lessons
  1. 13Preparing for AGMs and Audits3 min read
  2. 14Preventing Fraud and Disputes in Groups3 min read
  3. 15Course Project: Full Year Records for a Sample Chama3 min read
  4. QuizModule quiz, 4 questions

Final project

Full Year Records for Mwangaza Women's Chama. A practical brief with ordered steps, what to produce and how to check your own work. You confirm it in your learner area.

Who it is for

  • Chama and investment group treasurers and officials.
  • SACCO staff and committee members who want a solid grounding in group records.
  • Group members who want to understand and check their group's books.

Not for you if you already work confidently with everything in the curriculum below. Look at the other finance and accounting courses instead.

Requirements

  • Basic numeracy; no prior accounting knowledge is needed.
  • A computer or tablet with a spreadsheet program such as Excel, Google Sheets or LibreOffice Calc.
  • Optional: your own group's constitution and statements to use in the exercises.

What is included

  • 15 written lessons
  • 15 practical exercises
  • 4 module quizzes
  • A final project
  • Certificate of completion with a verification code
  • Lifetime access to what you buy

Questions about this course

What do I need before I start?

Basic numeracy; no prior accounting knowledge is needed. A computer or tablet with a spreadsheet program such as Excel, Google Sheets or LibreOffice Calc. Optional: your own group's constitution and statements to use in the exercises.

What device do I need?

A phone, tablet or computer with a modern web browser and an internet connection. Lessons are written, so they work on slow connections.

How long do I have access?

Lifetime access to the full course or to any module you buy. All Access and Teams give 12 months of access to every course.

Can I get a refund?

Yes: a full refund within 14 days of purchase if you have completed less than 30% of the course (or of the module, for a single module). Read the refund policy.

Should I buy a module or the full course?

A module (USD 10) unlocks that module's lessons and quiz. The full course (USD 39) unlocks everything and leads to the certificate. If you buy modules first, each one you own is credited at USD 10 when you buy the full course.

Which currency will I pay in?

US dollars (USD). Prices include all taxes where applicable. Your bank may apply its own conversion fee. Card payment is being set up with our bank. After you place your order we email you payment instructions within one working day; your access starts as soon as payment is confirmed.

Finance and Accounting learning path

All 16 open courses in this subject for USD 369. Bought separately they cost USD 624, so you save USD 255.

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