~Village Women Entrepreneurships~

Jharkhand ranks 27^th poorest state in India according to national economic ranking. Acute poverty, unemployment, trafficking, high women illiteracy, under age marriages, lack of access to nutritious food, loss of indigenous local food etc. are major reasons for poverty in Jharkhand. Undeveloped agriculture infrastructures and low productivity compels 40% families to migrate searching for temporary employment. Present education systems do not guarantee employment. 83% graduates are unskilled. Under-nutrition, stunting, wasting, underweight and anemic, is an ugly face of deprivation experienced by children, adults and women of Jharkhand.  According to NFHS, 50% children are stunted, 57% under-weight and 35% wasted in the state. In tribal rural districts 82% children, 79% girls, 75% pregnant women are anemic.

Objectives:

We proposed to train 500 village women entrepreneurs from 100 villages for marketable productions and services to generate decent employment to increase income and to eliminate poverty. It will provide back up support of marketing, production, innovations and finance. Along with mass replication it will advocate and networking for sustainable food delivery systems ensuring food security and nutrition to all economic, social and environment bases to eliminate hunger.

 Strategy:

Identification of potential women living with less than 1.9 dollar a day through community based wealth ranking exercise. She is helped to indentify the enterprise with the help of mentors, market opportunities, resource availability, risk factors, profitability and capabilities. An entrepreneur receives 20 days intensive training on successful business to receive start up award. To encourage the entrepreneurship, project provides $250 micro-grants as seed capital to business.

Outcome:

1. Family income increases $450 per month.
2. Improvement in Quality of life, food and decent job created.
3. No child or women is left out without sufficient food.
4. Access to health services and quality education.
5. Trafficking and migration is reduced.

~FUNDRAISING~

Summary:

Project will train 500 women in 6 sectors (1) Organic- vegetable- farming, floriculture (2) Tailoring, kids-wear (3) Bakery, catering (4) Pre-school coaching (5) Mobile-repairing and (6) Motor Driving training, for entrepreneurship to increase productions, eliminate poverty, creating employment opportunities and promote economic sustainability. It will adapt its own M&E systems to monitor and assess progress of activities. Self-Help Entrepreneurs Cooperative will be established in each cluster to meet advance financial requirements, support each other and ensuring sustainability.

Challenge :

Women’s moving towards entrepreneurship is a pleasant move towards economic empowerment but also is a big challenge in the new area of career. Women have to face social and marketing competitions. Sometimes uncooperative family situations may disrupt her undertaking.

Solution:

Potential entrepreneurs will be identified through participatory wealth ranking methods PPI, provide 30 days intensive training and regular mentoring, to guide on the journey for successful entrepreneurs. Organization will create knowledge center and develop financial, technical, institutional services for production, marketing and innovation needed for new enterprising women. To begin the entrepreneurship onetime cash award of Rs. 30000 and certification will be provided after successfully graduating training.

Long term Impact:

1. Women no longer a job seeker but able to provide jobs for her neighboring women.
2. Migration and trafficking of girls will reduce with the local demand of workers.
3. Skilled women capacitated to bargain better wages and will earn more income for her family.
4. Break the monopoly of men in construction and technical works.
5. Availability of skilled workers for employers.