Description: Bandhan’s holistic approach, while aiming to provide a sustainable livelihood to its program participants, ensures the sustainability of the organization itself. The Credit Program is operated under the umbrella of its livelihood program. This program will cover their cost, mainly from service charge.

No. of years of operation: Bandhan started Savings and Credit program from the year 2000.

Geographical Spread: At present Bandhan has extended its micro credit support services through promotion and stabilisation of SHGs in 2 blocks, 50 villages in the districts of Howrah and Hooghly through 2 branch offices in different strategic location. These branches are managed from the Head Office located at Kolkata.

For Whom: People living below the poverty line. The core emphasis of Bandhan focuses on asset-less women and has developed its own strategy to take resources and services to the grass-root level.

SHG Formation: SHG formed with Bandhan’s assistance and comprising poor women, from the nuclei for Bandhan’s activities in general and micro-credit operations in particular. Each SHG consists of 20 members, usually from same demographic region. The SHG have “regulation book” where they record decisions, attendance. In the meeting they discuss and take decision about some issues related to member’s problems
The stepwise methodology of SHG formation and development may be depicted through the following diagram:

Credit delivery methodology: At a glance

Whether any group entrepreneurship activity is being supported. Indicate major activities:
Zari embroidery, Mat making, Tailoring Wool knitting, Handloom weaving, Rope making, Bag-Jute, Cotton, Nylon, Food processing, Cycle repairing, Silk screen printing, Vending, Handicrafts, Shoe making, Coir crafts, Kantha stitch / fabrics, etc.

Savings Program:
Bandhan group members are encouraged to start a savings program through regular weekly savings. This aims at developing their savings habit and installing a financial resource base to reduce their vulnerability when a small amount of money is required in an emergency. Every SHG member saves Rs. 10 as compulsory savings in their weekly meeting. They have been getting 5% incentives on their own savings in every March. Members can withdraw their savings after 12 months.

Monitoring, MIS, Decision making & Control systems:
Program Monitoring: The Branch Manager oversees the activities of the branch. Central to the monitoring is the verification of records in the branch office with that of the passbooks with the members. The accounting system acts as the source of all information.

MIS: It is being maintained manually. Community Organizer collects all reports in daily basis and compile weekly and monthly basis in the branch level and HO compile monthly basis. A MONTHLY CONSOLIDATE REPORT (MCR) prepared in the same way.

Head Office will maintain total accounts of the organization and prepare a report in the monthly basis.
Bandhan has a plan to set up department for the proper management of smooth flow of information in all level of the organization. MIS department will entrust with the following jobs:
- To prepare the credit plan
- To prepare the monthly and weekly report
- To build up date base of information regarding savings and credit program
- To maintain all records from field office
- To analyze all the information
- To maintain contract with donor organization and sends report
- To prepare expansion plan of the credit program
The department will equip with computers and one MF software. All the reports will automatically get from computer.

Decision making: All sorts of Policy-Decision is taken by the Chief Executive of the organization in consultation with the Governing Body. Generally, in the branch level staff meeting is held is conducted on weekly basis in the presence of all staffs. They identify their problems, discuss and find out the solutions through mutual conversation. In certain operational matter, the group is given the authority to take necessary decisions in the presence of the Community Organizer.

Multi-form Monitoring and Supervision system of Bandhan

Projection: Development Program

Projection: Micro Finance Program

Projection: Development Program
Micro Health Project: This program is designed for the Women and Children, with the objective to provide health care facilities to them. For this purpose each group member’s family is required to contribute Rs.2 per week to form a “Community Health Fund” to meet up the incurred project expenses.

Pre-primary non-formal schools: This program is meant to extend educational, nutritional and psychological support service to the working street children so that the degree of child abuse may be reduced and these children may feel this world even a good place for them to live.

Afforestation Program: This program is designed to develop and eco-friendly and beautiful environment through planting saplings in the nearby localities with the assistance of local Government Institutions (Panchayat, Municipality etc.)

Workshops, Seminars or Awareness Generation Camps on legal rights of Women and Children: The organization has developed an Annual Program Schedule regarding organizing seminars and workshops on legal rights of women and children with the objective to eradicate social injustice.