Bharathi Women Development Centre

Community development projects for sanitation and financial inclusion

India

Green

Promotes and/or supports the protection of the environment. An example of this is an organic farming cooperative.

Bharathi Women Development Centre (Bharathi) is a community-based development agency providing microfinance services for sanitation projects such as the construction of toilets.

Bharathi works in three districts in south India. Most of the population consists of people perceived as lower in the caste system. These people are often landless labourers and small-scale farmers.

Bharathi is engaged in various development activities. It carries out irrigation and land development, and is involved in water management and sanitation projects. It also provides short and long-term loans for farming and livestock keeping, and offers life and income insurance. In addition, it sets up women’s self-help groups, and provides education in financial literacy, health and nutrition.

One other way in which Bharathi promotes financial inclusion is by promoting the habit of saving. It does not take savings itself, but acts as an agent for opening bank accounts.

Bharathi will use Oikocredit’s loan to construct about 4,000 toilets in the houses of its members who, as yet lack sanitation.