The need of
the hour is to diversify rural livelihoods. Towards this end, ITC has forged an empowering
partnership with rural women – the most effective development workers. ITC’s
intervention leverages micro-credit and skills trainings |
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to handle bank
accounts and understand the nuances of government development programmes. Empowered groups
function autonomously and take their own decisions, including sanction of loans to
fellow-members and collection |
to generate alternate employment
opportunities. Increased income in the hands of rural women means better nutrition, health
care and education for their children.
Working with NGOs, ITC has organised
village women into micro-credit groups. Group members make monthly contributions to create
a savings corpus. The corpus is used to extend soft loans to group members, thereby
eliminating the stranglehold of the moneylender. The system of mandatory contribution
further strengthens the savings habit, leading to capital augmentation.
ITC provides training to group members |
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seed money for
self-employment activities. Venture funds provided by ITC have already spawned hundreds of
women entrepreneurs. Their earnings, ranging from Rs 70 to Rs 150 per day, not only
supplement household incomes but also significantly enhance their self-esteem.
ITC also conducts skills training to
enhance employability. Pickle-making, fish-processing and agarbatti-rolling in rural areas
and garment-sewing, driving and computer-aided secretarial training in semi-urban areas
are some of the examples. ITC goes a step further to help find employment for these
trained women in areas related to its operations. |
