Micro Finance

One of the major initiatives taken by SEWA Delhi is with respect to the financial services offered to urban women slum dwellers. These women fall in the low income bracket and are mostly illiterate. Hence in the light of their inaccessibility to formal banking institutions and financial services, SEWA Delhi commenced its Micro-Finance Programme in the year 1999. The first step was the formulation of Self Help Groups in the various slum communities. While only a handful of women participated at first, soon the membership grew.

These women were quick to realize that if they would organize themselves into a Co-operative; it would enable them to lift larger loans for their business or in times of crisis. They would also be able to do savings as per their convenience by opting for various savings products suited to their earning patterns and volume of business.





























Micro-Pension

Along with services such as saving schemes and micro-credit, SEWA Delhi has also started providing services of micro-pension with a tie up with UTI. At present, 750 members have been linked with the Micro-Pension programme of SEWA Delhi.


Vimo SEWA

SEWA Delhi aims to empower its members to be financially self-reliant and well-equipped to meet any contingency. Keeping this goal in mind, the members are linked to the insurance scheme of SEWA known as Vimo SEWA. As part of this programme, members are able to join an insurance package at a minimal premium of Rs. 455 for the entire family with a coverage of Rs. 1,22,500 for mediclaim, asset claim, accidental death and natural death. For a more integrated approach we have linked the insurance programme with the Micro-Finance programme.
SEWA Delhi undertook the process of registration of the Mahila SEWA Urban Co-operative Thrift and Credit Society, which was registered as a Co-operative Society in February 2007, with a total of 216 women members belonging to the SHG, and a share capital of Rs.1,08,000. By End of December  2009, the Co-operative Society has managed to enroll over  1800 women members, each of whom is a share holder in the Co-operative. The Co-operative Society meets the individual demands of the women members, enabling them to choose from a variety of schemes and lifting larger loans simultaneously, which was not possible under SHGs. The maximum loan amount is Rs 50000.

The Cooperative has also become a platform to provide other services like provision of water and sewage services to its members by giving loans for installation of individual toilets and water tap. The home-based women members of SEWA who are linked to the SEWA Embroidery Centre, have also opened savings account in the cooperative for easy payment of their earnings. Gold Loan on mortgage of gold jewelry has also been recently started.

The Mahila SEWA Urban Co-operative Thrift and Credit Society   is the only example of a totally women’s Thrift and Credit Society in Delhi. The total membership of the cooperative is 1800. The total savings of members has amounted to Rs. 60,10,608 and the total amount of loans taken by members has amounted to Rs. 10496000 in the year 2009.