1000 Deshi Entrepreneurs: (Hazaaro Deshi Udyojika)
Through
Mann Deshi’s 13 years of experience in the villages of Maharashtra they have
observed hundreds of female clients who possess the capacity and desire to
expand their businesses. However, due to their remote location, they often lack
the guidance and networking opportunities needed to take their businesses to the
next level. For this reason, Mann Deshi has launched the Deshi Entrepreneurs
initiative that aims specifically to support an underserved sector within India—
rural women entrepreneurs. The goal of the program is to educate 1,000 selected
rural women entrepreneurs on business management and give them access to local
insight knowledge through a dedicated mentor relationship. As such, the project
enables these women to grow their business to their own benefit and the benefit
of the entire community.
To achieve this vision 250 Deshi Entrepreneurs have been selected in Maharashtra and Karnataka. The aim of this program is to make these women entrepreneurs aware about various details ranging from, how to start a business to different aspects of marketing.
Story
of Balubai Jaggu Jadhav (Successful Deshi Entrepreneur):
Balubai Jaggu Jadhav lives in Shingnapur. She worked as a daily wage labourer. Her husband married another woman and she filed for divorce. But her husband transferred their farmland to someone else and refused to appear for court dates.
Mounting expenses and the need to support her Daughter and her daughter’s children led Balubai to start a ‘mase’. Still she continued to face many problems. This made her to take a loan from Mandeshi Mahila Bank .With the loan money she started a Bhasma Business and become the member of a self help group. Balubai also participated in “Deshi Entrepreneurs Program” of Mann Deshi. This helped her to advertise her business, get marketing information about the business. She learned how to maintain financial diary for her business. Today she is self sufficient and looks after her family well.
At
the start of the Deshi Entrepreneurs program participants is introduced to their
Mentors, who stay in contact with them for 12 months. In addition to being
linked to a Mentor in the first month, participants begin their Deshi MBA
training through the Business School. Based on results from the Needs Assessment
survey and Mann Deshi’s experience in working with rural entrepreneurs, three
main topics have been identified for the Deshi MBA training, Working Capital
Management (Module 1), Supply Chain Management (Module 2) and Marketing
Management (Module 3). The curriculum for these modules is developed through
collaboration between Business School staff and a management institute partner.
The concepts that have been identified is simplified and customized to cater to
the women entrepreneurs, incorporating interactive games and illustrative
methods. Mann Deshi is in the process of identifying potential partners for
curriculum development, once the partnership has been established the details of
the curriculum and how the content will be delivered through a 2-day workshop
will be design in depth. Deshi Entrepreneur participants are fully funded for
their transportation, food and lodging costs to conduct all three training
workshops.
As
we want these women not just to become leading and successful entrepreneurs but
also roll model for others in coming future, we tried to give them maximum
experiences through multiple layered interaction & support to them. Through
drama / play they were made to understand the whole gamut of any business.
After 12 months a graduation ceremony is conducted. Deshi Entrepreneur Certificates, noting their completion of the Deshi MBA and Mentorship Program, is given to all participants. Mentors are additionally receiving Certificates of Community Service. In order to honor the successful achievements of those Deshi Entrepreneurs who have overcome the most given their individual challenges, three Achievement Awards are given.