Empower women in poverty through micro credit

Summary

This project aims to empower at least 100 women start or expand small businesses of their own by providing micro-credit loans or grants.

Challenge

It is observed in the community that bringing people out of poverty cannot be done through charitable efforts alone and time has gone. It requires empowering disenfranchised groups to become self-reliant. Women, in particular, face a range of societal ills that puts them at a distinct disadvantage. For example, alcoholism, low literacy rates, limited employment opportunities, predatory lending and the resulting "debt trap" restrict women from having an expendable income, let alone start small businesses of their own. The women do not have an opportunity to take a decision in her family and it restricts with men.

Solution

Through this project, Prime Trust provides small grants or loans (free or low interest) to women pursuing small businesses of their own. This includes support to expand their business also. Awarding of loans and grants will be based on established small businesses or clearly outlined new ideas. Prime Trust already has a fair-trade store in Puducherry that sells products that are made by women from our self-help groups. These women have voiced their need for additional funding to expand their businesses.

Long-Term Impact

This project empowers women to become self-reliant and self-sustaining. It gives them the financial independence that they rightfully deserve. Additionally, there are added opportunities for employment opened. They are also able to meet other small business owners through our Akshaya store meetings. This ability to form networks with other women gives them access to support systems and safety nets that they otherwise would not have within their own families.

Updates

During this pandemic period, the project is not taking place in a full-fledged manner. The project will take up in a great way once the lock-down is relaxed.

Resources

http://www.primetrust.org
https://www.facebook.com/Akshyaconfederation

Summary

As part of our mission, Prime Trust provides support for the children in slums, children of our women groups by organizing a program called `Children’s Parliament`. This program is designed for children who are in the age group of 8-17 and encourage them to engage in local, national and international democratic processes. Essentially these children are discussing issues that directly affecting their lives. Through these parliaments we believe that every child should be able to express themselves openly and without fear.

Challenge

Since the parents of the children in slums are unable to provide quality education, the children lose their opportunity. The children do not have knowledge of their rights as they are not raised well. The children fail to have good education and they are forced to take up work and earn. Sometimes, the older children are forced to stay at home to take care of the young ones. Thereby the children lose the opportunity to have education.

Solution

Children’s Parliament program aims to provide training on acquiring leadership qualities, personality development. The objective of this program is to make aware their rights. The children are given information on the political system in India, about the environment. This program helps the children to acquire holistic development.

Long-Term Impact

The long term impact of this program would be to create a potential society who will be assets of our nation.

Resources

http://www.primetrust.org
https://www.facebook.com/Prime-Trust-Childrens-Par

Summary

To empower 50 women to start or expand small businesses of their own by providing micro-credit loans.

Challenges

It is the fact that that bringing people out of poverty cannot be done through charitable efforts alone. Women, in particular, face a wide range of societal ills such as alcoholism, low literacy rates, limited employment opportunities, predatory lending and the resulting "debt trap" that puts them at a distinct disadvantage. This makes the women to have expandable income.

Solution

This project will provide small grants or loans (free or low interest) to women pursuing small businesses of their own. The awarding of loans and grants will be based on established small businesses or clearly outlined new ideas. Prime Trust already has a fair trade store in Puducherry that sells products that are made by women from our self-help groups. These women have voiced their need for additional funding to expand their businesses.

Long-Term Impact

By making the women to generate their own income, we make them to become self-reliant and self-sustaining. It gives them the financial independence that they rightfully deserve. Additionally, there are added opportunities for employment opened. They are also able to meet other small business owners through our Akshaya store meetings. This ability to form networks with other women gives them access to support systems and safety nets that they otherwise would not have within their own families.

Resources

http://www.primetrust.org
Prime Trust Webpage
https://www.facebook.com/Akshyaconfederation
Twitter

Summary

The objective of this program is to empower 50 women to start or expand small businesses of their own by providing micro-credit loans or grants.

Challenge

It is impossible to bring people out of poverty trough charity alone. It is pertinent to empower them economically and make them self-reliant. In the patriarchal society, women face a wide range of challenges such as illiteracy, alcoholism, limited employment opportunities and predatory lending and the resulting debt-trap.

Solution

This project aims to provide small loans either free or with low interest to the women who are pursuing small businesses of their own. The award of loans will be based on established small business activity or to invest in a new activity. Requests are coming from many women for additional funding for expansion of their business.

Long-Term Impact

The outcome of this project is to make the women self reliant and self sustaining. By empowering them, they get financial independence that they rightfully deserve. The women are in a position to take a decision in her family. They will also have access to support systems and safety nets that they otherwise would not have within their own families.

Resources

http://www.primetrust.org
https://www.facebook.com/Primetrust.Puducherry
Twitter

Summary

The major objectives of this program is to provide the poor with access to financial services as well as an opportunity for them to build their financial capacity and ability to grow to financial self-sufficiency.

Challenge

Bringing people out of poverty cannot be done through charitable efforts alone. It requires empowering disenfranchised groups to become self-reliant. Women, in particular, face a range of societal ills that puts them at a distinct disadvantage. Factors such as alcoholism, low literacy rates, limited employment opportunities, predatory lending and the resulting "debt trap" restrict women from having an expendable income, let alone start small businesses of their own.

Solution

This project will provide small grants or loans to women pursuing small businesses of their own. Awarding of loans and grants will be based on established small businesses or clearly outlined new ideas. Prime Trust already has a fair trade store in Puducherry that sells products that are made by women from our self-help groups. These women have voiced their need for additional funding to expand their businesses.

Long-Term Impact

This project makes our women to become self-reliant and self-sustaining. It gives them financial independence that they rightfully deserve. Additionally, there are added opportunities for employment opened. They are also able to meet other small business owners through our Akshaya store meetings. This ability to form networks with other women gives them access to support systems and safety nets that they otherwise would not have within their own families.

Resources

http://www.primetrust.org
https://www.facebook.com/Primetrust.Puducherry
Twitter

Summary

Empower 50 women start or expand small businesses of their own by providing micro-credit loans or grants.

 Challenges

The women in India face the fallowing challenges:

Dowry:  It is a based ritual of transfer of property including cash, vehicles, household goods, etc. A Dowry is defined as the property that is received by a Man from the family of his would be Wife during the process of their Marriage. Being totally illegal this ritual is still practiced all around India. Gifts and cash are broadly exchanged between the two families calling it to be a Tradition that has been followed from ages.

NO Education:Another most famous and popular challenge that woman’s face is related to low educational level. Although a lot of new schemes and plan are being introduced as a medium of improvising this condition, as a result situation is for sure getting better but only to some extent. Still large no of girls, constitute a large body of underprivileged citizen. They are taken away from this basic necessity of life, forcing them to make their involvement in household work. Most in backward caste these women have to face Lack of Education and attention as compared to boys. It is believed that until these backward groups hold a major responsibility for future development of the country. Still, this sector of society, either ignore or sideline the law of “Right to education” of girls, who wants to explore the world. Women Trafficking:Famous for enforcing young girls or woman to enter the world of Prostitution or Drug Dealing as means for their livelihood for survival this is another most threatening situation for a woman. Once trapped in this cage, possibility of getting free becomes next to impossible. This so called business not only hears a woman physically, but mentally and socially too. She eventually loses her identity, feels isolated and becomes unfamiliar with the outside world. The shocking truth of this industry is all ages is not a limitation her youngest to eldest woman are pushed into it willingly or unwillingly either-way resulting to lost childhood of little. Female-infanticide: Another most disheartening issue that a woman’s face. We hear a lot of cases every other day related to the killing of a girl child in the womb or soon after she takes the birth. Nation like India is still fighting against female infanticide. It’s totally bizarre act done by some shameless and heartless people who call them themselves to be human. Looks like it’s not the mother to decide whether to keep the child or not. Due to certain laws and new schemes, the act has descended to some extent but hasn’t stopped totally.

Thus, it still needs to be uprooted. This discrimination on the basis of gender is for sure, isn’t genuine, but mindsets of people even today revolves around some old myths or misconceptions that needs to end soon.

Solution

Keeping in mind the challenges faced by the women in India, prime Trust offers small loans from the banks and motivate the women group to start a small business and to generate income. Prime Trust interacts with other financial institutions and facilitate the groups in getting credit. The objective of this program is to make our women as a small entrepreneur.

   Long-Term Impact

This project empowers women to become self-reliant and self-sustaining. It gives them the financial independence that they rightfully deserve. Additionally, there are added opportunities for employment opened. They are also able to meet other small business owners through our Akshaya store meetings. This ability to form networks with other women gives them access to support systems and safety nets that they otherwise would not have within their own families.

 Resources

http:/ / www.primetrust.org
https://www.facebook.com/Primetrust.Puducherry

https://twitter.com/trust_prime

https://www.instagram.com/primetrust/?hl=en

https://www.linkedin.com/in/savarinathan-maria-arasu-87a912aa