By Women, For Women: An Integrated Approach to Banking in Rural India

-Project status: Active
-Sectors: For-profit Activity
-Funding source: Private Investment Funded
-Location of project: India | South Asia
-Project type: Microfinance Activity | General Banking Activity | Financial Services Activity

Managing Organization: Mann Deshi Mahila Sah Bank Ltd.

Managing Organization URL:
http://www.manndeshi.org



By Women, For Women:  An Integrated Approach to Banking in Rural India

Contact Name: Chetna Gala Sinha, President

Contact Email: manndeshi@rediffmail.com

Contact Phone: +91-02373-70119

Contact Address: Mann Deshi Mahila Sahakari Bank Ltd. Mhaswad Tal. Mann Dist. - Satara Maharashtra, India - Postal Code 415509


Activity Description: Mann Deshi Mahila Sah Bank Ltd. (MDMSB), a micro-enterprise development bank in Maharastra, India, uses an integrated approach in its efforts to promote sustainable economic growth amongst poor women in the region. In addition to providing micro-credit and savings services, MDMSB offers micro-health insurance products, training programs, women's rights lobbying, and innovative community outreach initiatives, like its Freedom Ride Girl's Bicycle program, which provides bicycles to primary schools girls at a 0% interest loan in an effort to curtail absenteeism due to transportation costs. Despite an estimated 95% of their 47000 clients living at or below the poverty line of $2 per day, MDMSB achieves a 97.11% rate of recovery on its loans while charging lending rates of 12% to women assembled in Self-Help Groups (SHG), or 17% rates to individual borrowers. Part of this success is owed to the creative approach of using door-to-door agents equipped with wireless simputers to provide saving and lending services. Plans for expansion will help MDMSB to reach an estimated 270,000 clients by 2008.

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