Rural Indian women are held back from growing their income by a lack of access to institutional banking services, opportunities for skill building and access to support networks. Moreover, they rarely have a say in how to spend their income.
We focus on nurturing and supporting micro-entrepreneurs. Our model starts with creating access to and control over finance and continues to develop programmes around the needs identified by women to support their growth.
90,000 women
have set up bank accounts.
$15 million
in deposits.
$25 million
in total business.
1st Pension Fund in partnership with the Unit Trust of India for rural women micro-entrepreneurs in India.
1st Cash Credit Product (supported by Edelgive Foundation) for rural women in weekly markets.
4,80,000 women
have participated in our 16 Business School and 4 Chambers of Commerce programmes.
25% increase
in average annual incomes of our business school trainees during 2016-17.
67% of women
started earning an income.
40% of participants
started regularly saving.
In 2013, Mann Deshi Foundation was awarded the Best Innovation Award by the National Rural Livelihoods Mission.
Thirty-one year old Manisha Dupde enrolled in the Business School Programme and started taking several courses from financial literacy to sewing, first aid for animals and goat and poultry rearing. Her regular attendance at the school gave her the push that she needed to become an entrepreneur.
Manisha started a dairy, poultry and goat rearing business. She now sells 70 litres of milk a day. She has become a Master trainer on goat farming and a state-level government trainer. Manisha also runs a successful pomegranate farm with her husband. Together, they earn Rs. 25,000 a month. As her income and exposure has grown, so has her self-confidence. She proudly talks of how she drives a tractor and is adept at installing electrical fittings, doing heavy manual work and repairing bore wells. She says that people now respect her in her community, and even ask her to repair their vehicles.
Click here to read about other many other inspiring women like Manisha.
63,000
women have participated in our programmes.
20,000
women have called the toll-free number.
24,000
women were trained on the best practices in accounting.
12,000
women registered and started additional businesses.
30% of women saw 35% increase in annual profit.
52% of women saw an increase in their assets.
35% expanded their business with access to new weekly/regional markets.
2,472 new jobs have been created by members who expanded their businesses.
Mann Taluka may be arid and drought-prone, but our people make up for it with their vibrant colours, and their zest for life. Every year the Mann Deshi Mahotsav takes place in Mumbai and Satara, and sees our women bringing their culture, music, sport, produce, and art to welcome Mumbaikars and Satarkars to experience the culture and traditions of Mann taluka.
These women are all connected with Mann Deshi through one of our programmes. They have successfully built their own businesses and we are looking to further support them by providing them with a platform which will enable them to grow.
Organic produce
sold directly by our women farmers.
Hand-made products
like bags, jewelry, chappals, bangles, handloom handicraft products and more.
Food staples
like pulses, spices, snacks, papads, pickles and chutneys.
Live Demos
Witness live demonstrations of pottery-making, jen-making, chappal making and more.
Performances
like sports, music, Gajji folk dance, storytelling, dance to bring the culture of Mann Taluka to you.
150,000 listeners
spread across 110 villages.
50 km
access to the channel.
New Mobile-based App
developed.