| |
|
| |
|
|
| |
 |
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
What is the SKS Ultra Poor Program?
The SKS Ultra Poor Program attacks the challenge of extreme poverty
on three levels: economic, social, and health, and aims to graduate
members to mainstream development after a period of 18 months. Upon
gradation, many members will choose to join microfinance
organizations to sustain existing businesses or diversify income by
starting new businesses.
Why the need for an Ultra Poor Program?
Microfinance, the provision of loans and insurance to the poor, has
contributed much to India’s economic advancement, and has focused
its efforts on the 700 million rural poor around the nation. Today,
microfinance has been recognized as a proven poverty-alleviation
mechanism in developing nations around the world, and SKS
Microfinance has been a leader in bringing microfinance into the
mainstream, providing financial services to hundreds of thousands of
poor across the country.
Despite this success, microfinance has not been able to reach the
ultra poor, the bottom 5% of the poor whose lives are characterized
by chronic hunger, persistent poor health, and illiteracy. The ultra
poor lack a stable income and often do not have the means to feed
their families more than once a day; they include widows with a
large number of children, the elderly, the disabled, and other
severely marginalized groups. The ultra poor lack the ability and
confidence to join mainstream microfinance, and require economic,
health and social development inputs to create sustainable change in
their lives.
What does the program entail?
The SKS Ultra Poor Program is a holistic program that meets the
needs of ultra poor on multiple levels: economic, health and social.
Component I: Economic Development
Economic Development involves savings, enterprise selection and 3-6
days of skills training. Savings inculcates a sense of financial
discipline in members and provides cushioning during crisis events.
Members choose from a basket of options:
|
|
|
Asset Basket
1. Buffalo
2. Buffalo + Chickens
3. Goats
4. Chickens
5. Sheep
6. Non-Farm Package 1: Telephone + Small Goods Shop
7. Non-Farm Package 2: Telephone + Food Products
8. Non-Farm Package 3: Telephone + Tea Shop
9. Vegetable-vending
10. Horticulture Nursery
|
|
 |
| |
|
|
Component II: Health Development
The extreme poor are the least healthy group in society. SKS
will tackle the incidence of sickness through a combination of
preventive techniques and on-the-spot coverage. The health
program is divided into: monthly visits, information sessions,
screenings & camps, and health training for talented ultra poor
members.
Monthly Visits
A Health Field Assistant (FA) visits each member on a monthly
basis to provide basic care or referrals as needed. Special
attention will be given to pregnant members.
Information Sessions
The Health FA delivers monthly presentations on numerous health
topics including: family-planning, pregnancy-related care,
women’s health, safe water, sanitation, anemia, immunization and
tuberculosis.
Health Screenings & Camps
SKS will link with existing providers – government doctors and
health-focused NGOs—to host screenings and information awareness
camps. Screenings will allow medical practitioners to determine
the number of those afflicted, and provide appropriate
treatment. Awareness camps will provide a forum for local
doctors to discuss a variety of health-related issues.
Training of Ultra Poor Member
SKS will utilize the expertise of a doctor to train 1-2
ultra-poor members in each village on basic health services.
These members will be equipped with the knowledge and basic
medicines (provided free-of-cost by government) to serve as the
touch-point for other members and their families who face health
challenges such as dysentery, dehydration, gastrointestinal
disorders, fever, de-worming, vitamin B deficiency, anemia and
skin diseases.
|
 |
| |
|
|
Component III: Social Development
The extreme poor often exist in the margins of society. They
have less confidence than other poor, which is one reason they
avoid mainstream microfinance. Consequently, an important part
of the Ultra-Poor program involves giving members the confidence
to become active wage-earners in their families.
The four components of the Social Development component are:
a. Group Solidarity
b. Increasing Social Awareness
c. Back-Up Support
Group Solidarity will be encouraged through weekly group
meetings. Ultra-poor members in each village will use this time
to discuss concerns and develop methods to problem-solve. The
FA, through feedback from members, will also discuss relevant
social development topics for group discussion.
SKS staff will also foster linkages with governmental and
non-governmental bodies, to both raise awareness and receive
information from external stakeholders.
|
 |
| |
|
| Program Overview |
|
Area and Member Selection
a. Village Survey
b. Participatory Rural Appraisal
c. Interview & household survey
d. Creation of final selection list
Enterprise Selection
Enterprise Development Training
Asset Transfer
Group Meetings
a. Savings collection
b. Group discussion on social & health topics
Individual Meetings
a. Asset-check
b. Status of member and household
Health Inputs
Social Development Inputs
Asset Generates Income
Graduation after 18 months |
|
| |
|
* SKS Ultra Poor is modeled on the Bangladesh
Rural Advancement Committee (BRAC) Challenging the Frontiers of
Microfinance – Targeting the Ultra Poor (CFPR-TUP) program.
www.brac.net
If interested in learning more, please contact SKS Ultra Poor Program Manager,
Ajaita, at ajaita.shah@sksindia.com
Donations and investments
Wish to donate?
If you are based in the USA, please send checks to SKS Foundation, a non-profit, 501(c)(3) corporation, at:
Swayam Krishi Sangam Foundation
P.O. Box 7530
Libertyvill, IL 60048-7530
Website: www.sksfoundation.org |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
 |
| |
| Enter your email address to receive our
newsletter. |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
