The FSA project is a rural access to finance project that was started in the 1990s with the first FSA being set up in Bura in the Taita Taveta County of Kenya in 1997. The project was a collaboration between Plan International and KREP Development Agency. A total of 9 FSAs were established in the then Taita Taveta District (Currently Taita Taveta County). These were Bura FSA, Mgange FSA, Werugha FSA, Wongonyi FSA, Kiteto FSA (Renamed to Mbololo FSA after being relocated from Mkwachunyi to Tausa) Mwambirwa FSA, Ronge FSA, Buguta FSA and Kasigau FSA.
Mwabirwa, Ronge and Kasigau FSAs have since collapsed.
The Ark Development Initiative consolidation approach brought together Buguta FSA (renamed Ark Buguta FSA), Mbololo FSA (renamed Ark Mbololo FSA), Wongonyi FSA (renamed Ark Wongonyi FSA), and Werugha FSA (renamed Ark Werugha FSA). Further Ark Founded Ark Vosa FSA, Ark Mghambonyi FSA (Detached from Ark Werugha FSA) Ark Wundanyi FSA (Detached from Ark Werugha FSA), Ark Mwatate FSA (Detached from Ark Werugha FSA), Ark Mbale FSA (Detached from Ark Werugha FSA), Ark Kishushe FSA (Detached from Ark Werugha FSA), Ark Taveta and Ark Njucha FSAs (supported by MESPT), Ark Kinango FSA, Ark Samburu FSA, Ark Watamu FSA and Ark Lango Baya FSA.
These FSAs have a total membership of over 16,000 spread across 4 counties of Taita Taveta, Kwale, Kilifi and Mombasa. The overall objective of Ark is to consolidate the FSAs into a formal regulated community-owned microfinance organization.
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