Youth Venture India

Geetanjali - CHANGEMAKER

Posted on 27. May, 2009 by Youth Venture India in Community Mobilization, Our Changemakers

Geetanjali’s Venture: Shramika

Geetanjali lives in an industrial zone within Thane, a suburb of Mumbai.  In this zone, women workers earn a meager Rs. 70 for a twelve-hour factory shift - hardly enough to feed their families.  Geetanjali launched “Shramika” to help women tap into their entrepreneurial potential.  She enables community women form self-help groups.  All group members pay Rs. 100 per month; they can then draw loans from their communal pool at the low rate of two percent. Geetanjali trains these women in jewelry-making, catering, and the basic business skills they need to launch their own small-scale businesses.  The income generated helps the women not only feed their families, but also expand their operations.
Geetanjali has begun to incorporate concepts of social business, such as sustainable impact through income generation, into the trainings.  Shramika has enabled the women in the community to launch nine self-help groups.   Geetanjali also worked with two police stations to open “Visava,” a counseling cell for women suffering from domestic violence.  She plans to expand Shramika into community healthcare and education.

Geetanjali leads a conversation on income generation.

Tags: community mobilization, entrepreneurship, mumbai, self help, small business, women empowerment