käänang

Käänang is a traditional mutual-aid system found in several coastal and rural communities. The term refers to a set of practices that organize shared labor, savings, and resource distribution to smooth economic shocks and support communal projects.

Etymology: The word käänang derives from a root in local language families; scholars interpret it as related to "share" or "collective effort," though exact origins vary by community.

Typically, a group of households forms a circle or network and agrees to contribute on a regular basis, either as cash, in-kind goods, or labor hours. A rotating coordinator maintains simple records and oversees the pool, distribution, and usage. The pooled resources may be used to fund emergencies, celebrations, household improvements, or group ventures.

Käänang functions as risk pooling and social glue, strengthening cooperative norms and providing a low-cost form of savings and credit outside formal financial institutions.

In some communities, käänang has formal rules and written agreements; elsewhere it remains informal and oral. With modernization, some groups have linked käänang pools to microfinance networks or digital ledgers, while others have faced criticism for governance risks or inequities.

See also: mutual aid, rotating savings and credit association, communal labor.