Empowering Communities through Micro Credit

Over the years various poverty alleviation programmes have been initiated by the government as well as voluntary agencies in our country. Despite these efforts, not much has been achieved in the reduction of poverty. Micro-credit has, however, acquired greater dimension and recognition over the last two decades, as an effective instrument for meeting the credit needs of the poor for starting micro enterprises. Micro-credit has emerged as a financial strategy for alleviating poverty of the rural and the urban poor and is emerging as an effective movement in poverty alleviation at the global level as well. Micro-finance institutions, therefore, need to move forward and scale up operations so as to expand and cater to the needs of borrowers in areas like savings, insurance and remittances as well.

The institution of self-help groups (SHG) has provided strength to the micro-credit system. It is important to have clarity on: how these institutions are formed; how effectively do they function; what are the problems faced by them; and also the myth and realities of self-help groups and the micro-financing institutions? To deliberate and understand these issues the Department of Adult Continuing Education and Extension in collaboration with Parimaarjan. - An NGO for Advocacy, Research and Training in Sustainable Development, is organizing a one day Seminar on “Empowering Communities through Micro-Credit Approach” on Friday 24^th November 2006 from 10 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. at the Seminar Room of the Dept. of African Studies, Social Sciences Building (Opposite Daulat Ram College for Women), University of Delhi, Delhi – 110007.

Professor Sneh Lata Tandon
Head,
Department of Social Work
University of Delhi