Rural informal savings, under the Voluntary Savings and Loans scheme-VSLs, has reached over Rwf1.9 billion (US$ 3.18m), reflecting steady momentum to bring the unbanked population on board.This was announced by Navaraj Gyawali, Country Director, CARE Rwanda, during a field tour of VSLs in Bugesera District.Gyawali noted that the increase in rural savings provided some encouraging signs for the overall financial inclusion. "Financial inclusion is necessary for the rural poor and these groups are building a foundation for the formal sector with strong customers,” he said on Wednesday. The Voluntary Saving and Loans groups-VSLs was designed by the Sustainable Access To Financial Services for Investment (SAFI), meant to promote savings and access to financial services among the poor people. It was started by Care Rwanda, an international NGO.Current statistics indicate that 78 per cent of Rwandans are unbanked while the rest 22 per cent have access to finance, with government targeting to raise financial inclusion to 80 per cent by 2017.Gyawali observed that through financial literacy, transparency and openness, the rural poor’s financial credence is built, which is one of the factors financial institutions use to determine whether to set shop in certain localities."We are now linking these groups to banks and MFIs (micro finance institutions) to save and access credit because they need more financial services to develop,” Innocent Rutikanga, the project manager for SAFI said.Rutikanga noted that there is need to encourage farmers to take advantage of credit services at their disposal to set up entrepreneurial projects.William Bahati, Safi Project Field Supervisor, explained that the project started last year by grouping poor people to save at least Rwf100 (US$0.16) a week, and it is growing bigger and bigger. It covers over 9,137 groups, countrywide, with 233,019 members. It has issued over Rwf1.7 billion (US$2.9) in loans.Chantal Nyirantawuziyandemye, a beneficiary, says she got a loan of Rwf 120,000 from the group to grow her farming business. "I bought onions from the loan I acquired and planted them and after selling I was able to pay back the loan and also increase on my business,” she said.The mother of four added she has now managed to build a house, buy a cow and pays school fees for her children.There has been robust growth in access to banking services due to several initiatives.The central bank, in its monetary statement in February, reported that banking services were now more spread. At least 2.03 million accounts were opened,  last year, up from 1.77 million the previous year. The bank branches grew to 683 over the same period supplemented by 170 automated Teller Machines-ATMs.