About the Project
Women Entrepreneurship-Livelihood Enhancement and Development (WE-LEAD).Women Entrepreneurship-Livelihood Enhancement and Development (WE-LEAD) Project, Jharkhand.
Developing income opportunities among poor is critical to drive economic development particularly for women. Women face various forms of discrimination in access and utilization of services like education, employment opportunities and financial services. In rural areas particularly they have either limited or no information on how to engage with evolving formal financial space, when it is marching towards digital. They lack financial literacy, constrained mobility and access to banking services inhibiting their entrepreneurial ability. Imparting need based, market orientated skill development training, facilitating affordable and timely accessible credit linkage, is critical for the development of women entrepreneurs. Access to affordable finance shall enable women to start, scale up and sustain their enterprises. This necessitates those efforts should be put in place to develop/enhance their knowledge and skills on enterprise management, so that they can initiate/expand their business activities and earn adequate income for them and their households. To get the synergy among all these factors, a multidimensional intervention is required. SIDBI beliefs and action to support a multi-dimensional intervention for Micro-Entrepreneurs and MSME “Women Entrepreneurship Livelihood Enhancement and Development” (WE-LEAD)is such an intervention which is being implemented by AMFI-WB in West Bengal with the Support of SIDBI. Enhancing Livelihood Security for poor and their households has been considered as one of the key priorities of all development agencies including the Government, especially in developing country like India. Access to finance, need based training's on entrepreneurship and skill building can help substantially to promote, expand and sustain livelihoods opportunities for poor. Realizing the importance Association of Micro Financial Institutions – West Bengal (AMFI-WB) planned to take up the project “Women Entrepreneurship-Livelihood Enhancement and Development (WE-LEAD) programme, mainly to promote and strengthen entrepreneurships among women SHG/JLG members in the six districts (Ranchi, Hazaribagh, Khunti, Gumla, Lohardaga and Chatra) of Jharkhand. In those 6 districts total 12 blocks has been selected – Ratu and Mandar from Ranchi, Sadar and Ichak from Hazaribagh, Khunti and Karra from Khunti, Sisai and Bharno from Gumla, Kairo and Bhandra from Lohardaga, and Tandwa and Simaria from Chatra. Under this Intervention women of SHGs/JLGs are being transformed as ME (micro entrepreneurs). Observing the impacted created under WE-LEAD project in West Bengal, AMFI-WB had requested to SIDBI to implement similar project in Jharkhand with incorporating the learning from West Bengal. AMFI-WB request has been accepted by SIDBI and sanctioned the project for Jharkhand which will be implemented over a period of two years.
Association of Microfinance Institutions-West Bengal (AMFI-WB): The Association of Micro Finance Institutions West Bengal (AMFI-WB) is an institution winch endeavors to promote and develop microfinance in the state of West Bengal Founded as a self-regulatory organization, and registered as a Public Charitable Trust in 2010, AMFI WB encompasses a community of microfinance organizations that operate in West Bengal. It was formed to deliver better services to the poor, thereby helping these populations improve their standards of living AMFI-WB envisions a community of microfinance institutions who are committed to initiating a significant change in the lives of the poor, especially women. AMFI-WB currently caters to around 90 lakh poor women by providing them with financial services, especially micro credit. With a membership of 48 Micro Finance Institutions, IT and Fintech Companies and bank especially micro-credit through approximately 37000 employees who hail from lower economic background. Their primary goals include encouraging MFIs to maintain healthy relationships with banks, ensuring that MFIs stay on track and focused with the guideline prescribed to them, and mediating between various government officials and other important sector stakeholders. AMFI- WB regularly conducts stakeholder meets at the district level management development programs for its members, microfinance industry-related seminars & workshops, and member meetings on matters of mutual interest.
Jharkhand State is a vast reservoir of natural resources like coal, iron and various other minerals and NTFPs. The proximity to the rich mines has led to the establishment of a number of iron and steel industries in the state. Despite these moves towards industrialization, the plight of the people in the state doesn’t show a very rosy picture with some of the indicators of Human development Rank lowest among the state of India
Economic Growth status in Jharkhand: In India, Jharkhand is one of the leading states in terms of economic growth. At current prices, Jharkhand's gross state domestic product (GSDP) was estimated to stand at ~Rs. 4.7 trillion (US$ 56.78 billion) in 2024-25. GSDP: In 2022-23, Jharkhand's GSDP (at constant prices) grew at 6.8%. In comparison, national GDP is estimated to grow at 7.2% in 2022-23. Sectors: In 2022-23, the agriculture, manufacturing, and services sectors are estimated to grow at 7.1%, 4.8%, and 8%, respectively. Economic development implies changes in income, savings and investment along with progressive changes in socio- economic structure of country (institutional and technological changes). There are various sources of economic growth, but the four major resources are Natural resources, Human resources, Capital, and Institutional factors.
Objectives of the project:
Experiences suggest that there is no dearth of potentiality in any given population, capable and willing to be involved in economic activities, but there is lack of integrated and need-based strategies, business development services, support and training programmes and paucity of skilled trainers, facilitators and teachers, which inhibits the efforts. AMFI-WB with support of SIDBI, primarily aims to bridge this gap prevailing among the women and promote sustainable livelihood solutions for them to start and expand micro enterprises and enhancing their household income.
- To undertake awareness building programs on financial and business literacy, livelihoods and enterprise promotion among low-income group of people especially women Group/JLG members.
- To strengthen the livelihoods opportunities for women and their households by creating new business opportunities and enhancing productivity of their existing enterprise through need-based business development and financial services
- Develop/ customize suitable EDP modules by reviewing the existing materials in the market and design suitable training manual, posters, toolkit etc. accordingly in
- To create a pool of local and community-based Resource Team- Livelihood Coordinators (LCs) and EDP Promoters on Livelihoods and Enterprise Promotion in order to meet the capacity building and business development services required for Women
- Impart customized trainings on WE-LEAD-EDP & Skill building to Women SHG/JLG Members and help enhance their knowledge on Enterprising Development & Management with inputs on business development services to pursue/expand their business activities
- To facilitate financial linkages, especially micro-credit for the potential women entrepreneurs with Banks, MFIs and other financial institutions so that they are able to start, expand and sustain their business opportuniti
- Develop and suggest a suitable design for scaling-up of the program to other Districts/Blocks in the state at the need of the project.
- To carry out lobby and advocacy with Govt. & Policy Makers by creating/ demonstrating positive impacts through these initiatives in the lives of women and their households through customized livelihood solutions
- Many more entrepreneurship activities would be identified during the field survey under the project initiatives.
- Mobilization of 10,000 SHGs/JLGs women members and providing EDP training.
- Identifying 8000 women beneficiaries (5,600-New & 2,400- Existing Entrepreneurs) and providing trade specific skill
- Formalization of at least 3920 new entrepreneurs (70%of 5600) by providing suitable registration (i.e. On boarding on the Udhyam Assist Platform).
- Provide credit linkage to at least 5600 women entrepreneurs to start or expand their enterprises. Out of which at least 3920 women shall be new entrepreneurs
- Provide market linkages for existing and potential entrepreneurs and on boarding of at least 1000 women entrepreneurs at ONDC or any other e-commerce platforms.
- Organize at least 6 Buyers-Sellers' interfaces at local levels
- To conduct a research study on the present status of the microfinance industry in Jharkhand along with the mid-term and end-term impact assessment of the project
Staffs of WE-LEAD Project
| Sl. No. | Name | Designation | Work Place District/Block | Contact No |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Mr.Subhadip Sarkar | Project officer | Head Office & State | 8617089470 |
| 2. | Dr. Mihir Ghosh | Researcher | Head Office & State Office | 8617554875 |
| 3. | Mr. Atul Kumar | Field coordinator | 3 Districts | 7739919796 |
| 4. | Mr. Athnastius Tigga | Field coordinator | 3 Districts | 8709108155 |
| 5. | Mr. Satyanand Bedia | E.D.P. | Ranchi/Mandar | 8404879883 |
| 6. | Mrs. Ranjeeta Kispotta | L.C. | Ranchi/Ratu | 9241405742 |
| 7. | Mr. Rahul Kumar | E.D.P. | Khunti/Khunti | 7903522228 |
| 8. | Mr. Sagir Ahmad | L.C. | Khunti/Karra | 6200384406 |
| 9. | Mrs. Dipanjali Kumri | L.C. | Hazaribag/Ichak | 7070435767 |
| 10. | Mrs. Rinki Kumari | E.D.P. | Hazaribag/Hazaribag Sadar | 6206307315 |
| 11. | Mr. Aditya Kumar Sharma | E.D.P. | Lohardaga/Kairo | 7004494794 |
| 12. | Mrs. Dewanti Kumari | L.C. | Lohardaga/Bhandra | 7870631398 |
| 13. | Mrs. Pinky Kumari | E.D.P. | Gumla/Bharno | 7991144379 |
| 14. | Ms. Puja Kumari | L.C. | Gumla/Sisai | 748874252 |
| 15. | Mrs. Nikhat Parween | E.D.P. | Chatra/Tandwa | 9308812449 |
| 16. | Mrs. Sahina Khatun | L.C. | Chatra/Simaria | 9608869982 |
| 17. | Mr. Rana Chowdhury | D.E.O. Cum Accountant | Head Office & State Office | 790808611 |
Project Advisory Committee (Legal Committee) Following Committee Members from AMFI:
| Sl. No. | Name | Designation |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Ms. Anamika Rajkumari | AGM, SIDBI |
| 2 | Mr. Mohd Haroon | ASM, SIDBI |
| 3 | Mr. Mayank Prakash | Theme Leader M & E, SIDBI |
| 4 | Mr. Ajit Kumar Maity | Chairperson, AMFI-WB |
| 5 | Mr. Subrata Ghosh | Board Member, AMFI-WB |
| 6 | Mr. Asit Kumar Mitra | CEO, AMFI-WB |
Monthly Report
| Sl. No. | Month | Report |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | November |  Download
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| 2. | December | Download
PDF |
Case Study
coming soon...
Inception Meeting
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TOT
| Sl. No. | Month | Report |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | December | Download
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