Newsletters | Contact Us

About Us
Who Are We?
 

The Mann Deshi Mahila umbrella of operations encompasses three distinct organizations – Mann Deshi Mahila Sahakari Bank, Mann Vikas Samajik Sanstha, and Mann Deshi Mahila Bachat Gat Federation.

In partnership, these three organizations aim to stimulate the achievement of their social goals - empowerment, asset creation, leadership development, capacity building, and property rights for women - through projects in the areas of economic well-being, education and health.  Taken together, these projects constitute a holistic approach to helping women in rural areas which combines economic activity with the educational tools and health care which are necessary for leading a productive life.
 

Organizational relationship:
 

Mann Deshi Mahila Sahakari Bank (Mann Deshi)

Mann Deshi (MDMSB) is a regulated cooperative bank run by and for women in rural Maharashtra.  Founded in 1997, it is India’s first rural financial institution to receive a cooperative license from the Reserve Bank of India. The MDMSB is committed to promoting micro-enterprise among its clients.

The Bank now has 3 branches and one extension counter, over 58,000 clients, 6,200 members and conducts 4,250 transactions on a daily basis (figures as of March 2007).

Mann Vikas Samajik Sanstha (Mann Vikas)

Mann Vikas is an NGO, established in 1994, which provides a variety of non-financial services to MDMSB clients.  Mann Vikas seeks to improve the quality of life of women and their families living in the rural areas of western Maharashtra.  Frequent droughts plague this area, and over the past two decades many local residents have migrated to the cities due to a lack of job opportunities and deteriorating conditions in the villages.  Women are particularly disadvantaged, as few females in this tradition-bound society own assets or have access to educational and job opportunities.

Mann Vikas is responsible for promoting girls’ education and providing women with HIV/AIDS health education camps, student scholarships, and vocational skills training. Additionally, the NGO provides information to women concerning life insurance and administers classes on commerce, marketing, and management to help women effectively build assets through credit.

The NGO runs two agricultural collectives - the Mahila dairies and an animal feed program - which help make milk, livestock, and grain available at affordable rates less than the those charged by retailers. The NGO also helps women manage the risk of taking agriculture loans in drought-prone areas by offering fodder insurance during dry spells.

Mann Deshi Mahila Bachat Gat Federation (Self-Help Group Federation)

The Self-Help Group Federation is an NGO aimed at organizing rural female entrepreneurs. The Federation consists of more than 2,300 self-help groups (SHG) (figures as of March 2007). Each group represents 10 to 20 members.

The SHGs are made up of self-employed women from each sector of the local economy: vegetable vendors, milk vendors, weavers, and wage earners.  The groups receive loans directly from the Bank and, with additional support from the Indian government, conduct lending activities.

The NGO runs programs which allow women to use their SHGs as cooperative financial institutions - SHGs may hold women's assets and issue micro-loans. Women who participate in SHGs may qualify for the MDMSB's individual loans, and use their SHG to obtain a group loan from the MDMSB at a cooperative lending rate. MDMSB also actively consults the Federation of SHGs in its management and policy decisions.