Manjari Corner
89 small enterprises have been established under our Entrepreneurship Development Program with DS Group, across various locations. Successfully conducted two training sessions on organic farming with the theme "Rasayan mukt Kheti" under the Capri Project in Baran. Banda, Uttar Pradesh, where Manjari Foundation is actively working on water conservation, wins Best District award at 5th National Water Awards. Mega Bank Credit Linkage camp organized in Kalinagar village, Rudrapur, where ₹1.25 crores were disbursed in loans to 101 SHGs. A public awareness rally was organized in Zawar to highlight the significance of literacy.

Women's Institutions

Women's Institutions: Collective Effort For A Better Future

We are committed to empowering women from marginalised communities so that they can live their lives with dignity.

Our Institution Building model comprises a three-tier architecture with SHGs at the foundation, followed by Village Organisations and Federations. These institutions are the building blocks for our interventions around financial literacy, inclusion, livelihoods, governance, education, nutrition, health, governance etc

In an effort to scale up, we partnered with Camide, an NGO from West Africa, and successfully replicated the Manjari Model in Mali and Senegal.

Till date, our microfinance work has resulted in the inclusion of more than 89,203 unbanked women in the financial system, who have been organised into 6277 SHGs, 741 Village Organizations and 23 Federations. These institutions have disbursed a cumulative credit of INR 30 Crore. (4 Million USD).

Women have gained a sense of dignity and confidence and there has been a reduction in distress borrowing and pawning and an increased sense of agency and optimism about attaining future financial and well-being goals. Women's participation in family decisions has also increased as a result.

In an effort to scale up, we partnered with Camide, an NGO from West Africa, and successfully replicated the Manjari Model in Mali and Senegal.

Women's Institutions

Creating opportunity, access and control over resources and entitlements for women

Owned, governed and managed by women

Self-reliance is one of the core values of the Manjari Foundation. Building strong and vibrant women's community-owned and managed institutions that meet the diverse development needs of a village has always been at the core of all our efforts.

We encourage women to take greater responsibility and to be their own leaders; therefore, Self-Help Groups are the prime approach to social mobilisation at the grassroots.

We facilitate the formation of women's institutions that are owned, governed and managed by women members. SHGs are designed to function as self-sustainable institutions. As a result, our women's institutions serve as vibrant vehicles of change, that help identify challenges and play a pivotal role in designing, implementing and supervising our thematic interventions.

Programme pillars

Mobilisation

Mobilisation of women in Selp Help Groups and associated tiers

Capacity Building

Capacity building of members and institutions to foster a sense of agency

Access to Services

Facilitating linkages to access services that impact lives and livelihoods

Institution architecture

The institution platform is a three-tier structure starting with SHGs at the grassroots
level, that merge into Village Organisations and eventually come together to form Federations at the block level.

Federations

A federation is owned, governed and managed by women themselves. It’s a platform for collective voices, solidarity and self-expression as well. Federations deal with issues of socio and economic development. They also provide technical services to VOs and SHGs to ensure their sustainability in the long run. The outreach of one Federation is generally 3000-5000 members.

Village Organisation

Village Organisations (VOs) are formed by SHGs coming together. They enable peer-to-peer learning and help address village-level issues such as livelihoods and other social, and political issues. VOs generally have an outreach of 10-15 SHGs (100-200 members).

Self Help Groups

Self Help Groups (SHGs) are the primary unit of community institutions. They provide opportunities for mutual help, financial intermediation and address the basic needs of members along with livelihood and social development.

Digitised record keeping

Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) provide new opportunities for developing economies in terms of increased efficiency and productivity, access to new services and occupations and increased connectivity.

However, the extent to which developing economies are able to reap these potential benefits is contingent on a host of social, economic and institutional dimensions.

While economic growth and rising productivity are the major expected outcomes of digitalisation, digital divides and related forms of exclusion and inequalities are commonly observed too.

Imbibing data-driven transparency

India, one of the largest economies in the world, with a remarkable pace of ICT diffusion, represents a relevant case to investigate the impacts of digitalisation on economic development.

The digitalisation of any programme is the need of the hour. We have digitalised all our SHG programmes. We have developed a unique “Safal Saral Software” in-house, which is helping us to digitise all accounting and microfinance aspects pertaining to women's institutions.

Linkages with financial institutions

The software offers several unique features and is helping members to access all the relevant information, which includes financial data, socio-economic profiles of the members etc. The software will improve the interface between women members and financial institutions. A special feature of this software is its ability to work both online and offline which is useful to cater for the needs of members in remote geographies. We have offered the facility of a tablet and printer to our SHG Sakhis (Community Resource Persons), for easier access.

These devices are helping them to fill out data and relevant details at the village level in live meetings and send them to a server for generating reports. This is a big leap towards digital literacy among rural women. The usage of tablets has brought flexibility, accessibility, accuracy, and transparency in the functioning of SHGs.

 
Photo Credit: Sakhi Project

Impact Stories

Empowering Rural Women: The Manjari Foundation X Rang De Partnership

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Empowering the Hills: The Transformative Power of Goat Farming

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Empowering Rural Communities: Rang De Q&A with Sanjay Kumar

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Bucking the Odds: Shahnaj's Goat Rearing Success Story

Shahnaj is an aspiring women member of Self Help Group in Gagwana village of Ajmer district in Rajasthan. The self help groups are being promoted by Manjari Foundation in Sakhi Project. After her marriage, she arrived here as a homemaker living with her husband, children and other family members.

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From Fields to Fortune: How Ramkali Rajak Became an Entrepreneur

Ramkali, alongside her husband, toiled on their small piece of agricultural land. Life was manageable when it was just the two of them, but the arrival of three children brought new financial challenges.

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How Sonu Davar made her daughter’s dream to become an air hostess come true

People often say, 'Dream, because dreams cost nothing.' Everyday in India, countless women are dreaming and making every possible effort to turn those dreams into reality.

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From adversity to achivement Rakhi Sharma's inspirational journey

Rakhi Sharma's journey is a testament to the power of determination and the transformative impact of seizing opportunities

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How ‘Kisan Didi’ transformed and strengthened her life by taking a loan from Aajeevika Mission

While India is known as an agrarian country, the struggles and hardships faced by many farming families often go unnoticed. Sunita's family, residing in the small village of Patoora in the Satna district of Madhya Pradesh....

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Nandini Mishra's Triumph: From Child Bride to Educator and Mentor

In India, one often witnesses a common occurrence in impoverished households. The insistence on marrying off the daughter is prevalent, treating the girl as if she is a burden. It's as if they eagerly await her turning 18, considering it a milestone for arranging her marriage. In some cases, the situation is so extreme that the girl is married,

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Reflections on Retreat 2024

Ramesh Yadawar from Manjari pens down his experience of Annual Retreat.

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टीम मंजरी की कलम से रिट्रीट के खट्टे-मीठे अनुभव!

टीम मंजरी के विजय रावत और सुबोध गुप्ता द्वारा लिखा गया वार्षिक रिट्रीट का वृत्तांत।

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From Adversity to Achievement: Story of a differently-abled entrepreneur

In the serene village of Guddali, nestled in the Kurabad block of Udaipur, resides a remarkable woman, Meera. From a young age, Meera has faced the challenges of physical disability with unwavering determination and resilience.

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Weaving Dreams: Rajan Bai's Journey with Bagaj Mata Self-Help Group

In the heart of Narayanpur, a village painted with the hues of tradition and aspirations, a remarkable journey unfolded through the Bagaj Mata Self-Help Group, facilitated by the Manjari Foundation in October 2021.

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From Seeds to Success: Story of Kamla Bai

Kamla Bai's story is one of resilience, empowerment, and the blossoming of a remarkable entrepreneurial spirit.

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Madhu Khoiwal: From Adversity to Achievement

Madhu Khoiwal, a 55-year-old woman from Rajasthan's Chittorgarh, had a journey filled with challenges and empowerment. Growing up in a village where education for girls was not considered essential, she dropped out of school during the 5th standard.

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How Neeraj became a proud daughter of the village

With the numerous risks and uncertainties we face today, social security is indispensable for poor and vulnerable families.

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Pankh gives Raviya wings, she becomes a role model for many

119 year-old Raviya belongs to a middle class family in Adampur village in Dholpur district. Her father Laxmi Narayan Lodhi is a farmer and mother Kanta is a housewife. She is the youngest of 4 siblings.

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More than 3000 SHG women across our projects are mitigating risk by opting for Government Insurance

The Government has launched various schemes and programmes for the upliftment of the poor but impact...

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After the sudden death of Rusna Bai, insurance saved the day for Ramesh and family

With the numerous risks and uncertainties we face today, social security is indispensable for poor and vulnerable families.

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Street lights bring smiles to the people of Kanpur village

Electricity is the most basic that we take for granted. Even today, it is not easily available to many people in rural areas.

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SHGs made me realise the importance of ‘self’

Sushila Devi, a 28-year-old woman from Shivpura village, is a mother of the young boy. Tears roll down her cheeks when she narrates her story. She was very young when she got married.

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Red sarees – a symbol of empowerment in remote Rawa village

Rawa is a remote village situated in the difficult terrains of Girwa Tehsil. Most men in the village are daily wage labourers.

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The journey from thumb impressions to signatures

Four months ago, our Sakhi programme reached out to Narpat Ki Khedi, a small village with a conservative...

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Running Her Own Beauty Salon Had Been A Dream Of Sarda’s Since Childhood

Despite making huge advances in development in our county, women today still face a number of hurdles due to gaping gender gap in the workforce. Only 29% of the women in our country end up joining the workforce..

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Mohini turns her life around after her husband’s demise

Mohini’s story goes to show that there is no limit to how much one can achieve with strong determination.

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Women get work through MNREGA for the first time in 10 years

The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) is an initiative and social security measure of the government of India, aimed at providing guaranteed employment to rural people in an attept to reduce distress migration from villages.

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Gudiya defies patriarchy, becomes a working woman

Gudiya Kanwar became a famous name in the pickle unit of Kayad (Ajmer) for a reason. She was a housewife...

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The spice unit gives Radha a new lease of life

Radha Jaat is resident of Chittorgarh’s Monga Ka Khera hamlet. Her husband abandoned her a few years ago...

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Kanchan earns a livelihood and respect at the pulses unit

Kanchan Vaishav is a native of Bhilwara’s Agoocha Village. She is a 45-year-old woman, who has been working at the Pulses Unit in Agoocha since its inception. Her husband worked as a farmer, but now is confined to the home due to poor health.

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From domestic servant to a skilled tailor

Jamna Khatik is a resident of village Putholi, Chittorgarh. She started working at the textile centre 2 years ago...

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Sadhana – a successful dairy entrepreneur

Sadhana lives in a remote village named Maloni Pawar, 46km away from Dholpur, Rajasthan. She is an active member of an SHG in her village.

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Painting a better picture of rural life

“She is a warrior capable of slaying demons. She is a pioneer capable of choosing her own path. She is a trailblazer capable of achieving new horizons. Just give her some time and see her bedazzle the world.” ― Avijeet Das

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Ashayein – building hope

“Ashayein” is a Hindi word which means “Hope”. Those who manage to have hope regardless of their hardship, are the ones who succeed with flying colours.

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Different Generations, Same Aspiration: A Journey of Determination

The title aptly captures the story of Mamta Solanki and Meena Kanwar, residents of Kishanganj village in the Baran district of Rajasthan. Mamta, 24 years old, is the daughter of Meena Kanwar, 43 years old. Mamta got married to Tanwar Singh five years ago but has since separated from him.

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Harbinger of change

As cliché as it sounds, “change is constant”. There are few people who are able to bring change at the grass-root level, and 45 year-old Sangeeta Kunwar is one such women. Hailing from Rolakheda village of Chittorgarh district of Rajasthan, Sangeeta earned recognition in her village for the contribution she made.

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Koshish – a tale of persistance

“Koshish” is a Hindi word that means “to try”. It’s the attitude that ultimately makes all the difference between success and failure.

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Let’s study again!

The story of 21 year old Paras Salvi speaks for itself. A resident of Rupakhedi village in Chittorgarh district of Rajasthan...

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Life gives Savitri a second chance…

Sometimes life gives us a second chance. It’s left upto us to seize the moment and make the most of opportunities that come our way.

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School chali main: Vimla's Journey to Empowerment

“SCHOOL CHALI MAIN” in Hindi translates to mean “I am going to school”. The sentence signifies the happiness of Vimla Salvi, a 27 year old from Rupakhedi Village in Chittorgarh District of Rajasthan.

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Setting the ball rolling…

The Second Chance Programme implemented by Manjari Foundation and supported by Pradan and UN Women has set the ball rolling for several women like Promilla Karmakar.

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Sui-Dhaaga: Stitching a Path to Empowerment

“Sui-Dhaaga” is a popularly used Hindi word, which means needle and thread. Sewing as an activity has ensured employment for millions of people across the globe.

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When I met myself

“STRONG STRONGER STRONGEST” represents a transition in the life of a rural woman...

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Strong, stronger, strongest: A tale of Resilience and Empowerment

The title “STRONG STRONGER STRONGEST” represents a transition in the life of a rural woman that is straddled with hardship.

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A little goes a long way

There have been numerous instances where minor efforts have resulted in larger results. We plant trees in gardens, on property, and elsewhere these days in the hope that global warming challenges can be handled in the future.

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Our Testimonials

What People Say About Us

'Manjari’ literally translates to “seed of Tulsi”, a sacred Indian plant. When women mobilise themselves to form institutions, they are empowered to sow their own ‘seeds of change’.

"Development of Corporate Citizenship (DoCC), the social internship program of SPJIMR has been collaborating with Manjari Foundation since 2015. This has been fruitful relationship for us. I want to emphasise the four following themes. First the internships give our students a different idea of leadership which also gives them a sense of requirements for the future and adds to the ethics of sociological content. The participants acquire a notion of innovation- both social and technical which gives them a systemic view of the society. Such an empirical location gives them both a sense of limits and possibilities of what they can do. Environmental consciousness and gender sensitivity constitute two critical parts of social responsibility as we define it today. The participants of the internship understand what these key concepts mean in everyday sense. Internship at Manjari adds to their imagination in this direction. We value this relationship."

Author

Dr. Chandrika Parmar

S.P. Jain Institute of Management & Research

"Our collaboration with Manjari has allowed us to better understand the approach of solidarity groups and concretely towards the empowerment of women in the commune of Logo.The participation of Indian PRCs has been beneficial because the women have appropriated easily by seeing that they are rural women Indian women who share their experiences with them. The Camide team was formed by the professionals of Manjari with enthusiasm and professionalism and is able to reproduce most of the activities. This period of collaboration opens up prospects for our two structures to replicate the model in Mali and Africa. We again thank Manjari for all the efforts made for Camide and particularly the Director Sanjay Kumar. We were able to reach more than 2,500 women and more than 180 million CFA francs of credit granted four test henhouses substantial support for the winter and market gardening campaign in terms of results thank you."

Author

Mr. Alou Keita

Director Camide, Kayes, Mali, West Africa

"Without larger vision and dedication of the team of MF and its leadership, both vertical and horizontal growth would have never been possible to pick up at this level in this short history of its evolution. Since I have been associated with the Sakhi project of MF funded by Hindustan Zinc for the last 2 years, the happiness and confidence seen in their faces of hundreds of women in the villages proves its vitality. I have also witnessed the UN-women funded second chance education project (SCE) being implemented in 3 districts under the guidance of PRADAN is a much worthy to reach out to those young women in the age group of 16-35 who have been deprived in their childhood with the education, skills and employment are now happily enrolled and trained to overcome these deprivations with much positive outcome. While writing all these statements, I recall each visit to the project area to witness the change processes that were taking place within those women who had never dreamed of being so empowered and self-reliant so soon in their lifetimes."

Author

Mr. Binod Raj Dahal

Integrator- PRADAN

"Manjari Foundation is IPE Global’s implementation partner in Dholpur, Rajasthan under the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF), UK supported Project Udaan that aims at reducing teenage pregnancies. They have been instrumental in successfully piloting interventions for improving the knowledge of adolescents around sexual and reproductive health (SRH) in Bari block of Dholpur. Their efforts in organizing a team to take up the issue of adolescent SRH and facilitating its implementation with great sensitivity across the block has not only been recognized by the district administration, but has also paved way for attempting a scale-up across the district. Their coordination with the community-level institutions, local government bodies and the target group has been noteworthy and exemplary. "

Author

Mr. Ashish Banerjee

State Head, IPE Global
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