January 2005 Update

January 2005 Update

January 2005 Update

During January, a lot of training was accomplished during a trip to Pune. Farmers who were selected for the drip irrigation loan received training in irrigation techniques and alternate agro practices. Also, several GSBG members and potential members received an introductory training in bee keeping and vermiculture, which may be the basis of future businesses, at the Pune bee research centre.

GSBG members hosted two sets of university students for poultry farming training and micro enterprise management training.

With the help of scholarships given by a corporate executive, two young men, Deepak and Sunil form the nearby village of Vasali, received computer training from Ashok so that they will be able to start a computer training centre in Vasali.

On January 31, the borrowers presented the first loan repayment check to Ecselance International. This was truly a monumental day and there was a great sense of achievement on the part of all GSBG members.

The happiest day in the life of GSBG is when the first loan payment was made with interest a day before the due date (January 31, 2005) 

Vishnu's dairy (which is one of the original five businesses) has become a milk collection centre for new mini-dairies that have also been started by GSBG. (January 2005)

A young enthusiast learns bee keeping at the Pune bee research centre. (January 2005)

Farmers learn about irrigation and alternate agro practices in Pune. (January 2005) 

December 2004 Update

December 2004 Update

December 2004 Update

During the month of December, the GSBG trained women enterpreneurs (mostly from the poorest section) including those who will start dry fish trading, sari retailing, door-to-door vegetable and fruit vending, mini-beauty parlour and henna painting, and jewelry making.

The jewelry makers were trained by Vibha Patil, one of the GSBG advisory board members. The sari retailers were trained by Kamala Parekh, also a GSBG advisory board member. The beauty parlour business training was done by a hired expert.

Also in December, VV Ramanan and his family, one of the Ecselance International directors, visited with GSBG members in Belgaon Dhaga. The highlight of the visit was the inauguration of the second branch of Ashok's computer training academy.

One of the new women-owned businesses is door-to-door vegetable vending as shown in this picture. (December 2004)

VV Ramanan, an Ecselance International Director, is inaugurating the second branch of the Arthava Computer academy in Belgaon Dhaga village. (December 2004)

Project history

History of the Belgaon Dhaga village project

Project history

The Belgaon Dhaga project started on November 1, 2003 at a community meeting held by Vinod Parekh, the Village Earth representative. In that meeting, the community decided that economic development was their highest priority. Several people at the meeting expressed their desire to start small businesses and agreed to put together a proposal including a budget. On December 1, 2003, an Entrepreneur Self Help Group was formed consisting of the people who wanted to start businesses. The group was called Gramudyog Swayamsahayata Bachat Gat (GSBG). An advisory board made up of local business people, Rotary club members, and university professors was formed to advise GSBG on marketing and financial matters. The potential entrepreneurs started receiving training in general business skills as well as the particular skills for the businesses they wanted to start.

February 20, 2004 was a big day for the first five entrepreneurs that received their loan checks. The first five businesses were started by Ashok (Computer training academy), Hiraman (water tanker business), Chandu (irrigation pond), Thorat (village celebration equipment rental), and Vishnu (water buffalo dairy). All of these businesses were up and running by March 2004. They have been expanding ever since.

In October and November of 2004, a series of new, women owned businesses were proposed by local women to GSBG. These businesses included a tailoring business, a sari retailing business, vegetable vending, jewelry making, and henna application. It was agreed to provide training to these women so that their businesses could be started. The tailoring business was the first one to open.

Economic development is starting to take hold in Belgaon Dhaga and nearby villages are looking to do the same. The micro enterprise project will be expanding into the villages of Pimpalgaon Bahula, Rajwada, Vasali, Velholi, and Jawahan in 2005.

In October of 2004, several women owned businesses were started. One of these was a tailoring business. 

The water buffalo dairy shed was completed in March 2004 and there are now 27 water buffalo providing milk to the community. 

Ashok's computer training academy was opened in March 2004 with great celebration. 

After the monsoon season of 2004, Chandu's irrigation pond was full and is now being used to grow fish and provides sufficient water to raise a second crop each year. 

The village celebration equipment rental business owned by Thorat was another of the orginal five businesses started in March 2004. 

Hiraman's water tanker is one of the original five businesses started in March 2004.  

Construction of the shed for the water buffalo dairy project was started in March 2004. 

In March 2004, work started on the irrigation pond project. 

On February 20, 2004 the first five entrepreneurs received their loan checks.