India

Aamara Biswas Center 

The Center is situated in an interior village of Jagatsingpur District of Eastern Odisha. The women take pride in having a physical space to gather, hold meetings and work; they feel that the Center belongs to them. 

Nano Finance System

Joyasree (Ranu) Mahanti launched the Nano Finance concept she developed in her home state of Odisha, India in November  2007. During the past decade, more than 10,000 women who live in extreme poverty in the rural villages and urban slums of Odisha have benefited through Nano Finance system. 

Training/Production Center

Aamara Biswas helps to establish training/production centers by giving financial support for a few years. Aamara Biswas encourages the coordinators and teacher to make the center self-sustainable by selling their products to support the teacher’s salaries, rent of the place, and other expenses 

Sanitary Napkin Units

This project is necessary for the health of women living in poverty. We have found that the women prefer to spend money for food or school fees, causing challenges to their personal health. 

Sabita smiles proudly and tells with confidence, she is not scared of anybody because financially she does not depend on her husband any more. She took a loan of $10 for farming. In the following year, she and a group of women took loans and bought a rice thrashing machine. They rent the machine to others and share the profit. She and another group of women started a tailoring unit by taking loans from Aamara Biswas. Many women like Sabita do multiple small trades with the help of Aamara Biswas.

The four women of one family took interest free loans of $40 ($10 each) for making baskets. They claim, in one year they have savings in the bank, bought necessary items for their home, and able to send their children to school. By taking loans multiple times and expanding their production, the family has savings in the bank.

Sumitra lost everything by taking loans from the money lenders for her emergency needs for buying food for her three children with her alcoholic husband. She tells in teary eyes; “now I can come to Aamara Biswas in time of emergency in stead of going to the money lenders”. Aamara Biswas gives her security and strength.

Suna has expanded her coconut business by taking interest free loans of $50 (10+20+20) in three transactions in two years. With the profit she also has started a small shop in her village. This has enabled her to pay for her son’s education.

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