Despite its wide range of services and customer-friendly products, the core essence of the Bandhan's Micro Finance program is high degree of community particiaption through the formation and Development of SHGs. These SHGs serve the purpose of integrated development of the society, and play the pivotal role to implement various social development schemes in very convenient way.

Savings Product
Bandhan took up the policy of Savings mobilization with the objective of building up savings practice of the group members on the one hand and generating a community-fund for capital on the other. Savings would in the long run help the group members implement their income generating activities by creating capital and investment. Each member saves a fixed amount on weekly basis. This savings is mandatory in nature. A certain rate of interest is paid on the accumulated yearly. Members have access to withdrawn as per their need from the 2nd year of their membership.

Credit Product
Bandhan has developed a loan product attuned to the needs of its clientele. These products and the terms at which they are lent were developed through a detailed market study in consultation with the SHG, and as per the consultation of the governing Body. These products are flexible and responsive to the changing needs of the members.
The loans are taken by the groups to meet the diverse needs of their members based on collective decision.

Insurance Service
Bandhan's have a loan insurance facility for the borrowers. In case of a borrower's death the nominee is not required to pay the outstanding amount.

Other Services
Bandhan strongly believes that micro finance does not end with delivery of credit. It encompasses a whole range of services, both financial and non-financial, for clientele development as well as sustainable growth of the organization itself.
Since the inception of Bandhan, training has been considered as one of the most important strategies to build the capacity of the organization. A well-known feature of Bandhan training is its participatory nature, which is learner-centred, problem focused, need-oriented, promoting individual involvement and group interactions. The training modules are developed from the perspective of the participants' needs. These courses are continuously upgraded to meet the changing and emerging needs of the programs of the NGOs. The training resource persons have extensive field experience from India and abroad.

MF Program at a Glance

Education Program at a Glance

Capacity Building Program at a Glance
Bandhan organized training and workshops on micro credit at the request of 10 development organizations ( ie, CARE, Indian Institute of Training and Development (IITD), Help Age India & Sri Mayapur Vikas Shangha (SMVS) etc.) Senior level functionaries, Staffs and Leaders of 10 NGOs, 442 participated in 23 courses. Alternative development strategy through women empowerment, building up their organization, creation of local resources etc. The NGOs got clarity and many of them started forming Self-Help Groups.
· Bandhan successfully organized a eight days long exposure visit program in Bangladesh with 8 participants of CARE staffs and partners for experience sharing with two MFIs (ASA & BRAC) of Bangladesh and one Credit forum organization.
· 3 workshops and 5 training events were organized by CASHE where faculty members of BANDHAN joined as resource persons.
· 5-batch training organized in the Bangalpur mahila cooperative credit society limited by the financial help of CARE-WB. This program will have continued up to May 2002 with more 5 batches.
· Organized training in micro finance in two phases-on social aspects like stages of group development, services & products, leadership, records, group dynamics, delinquency management, linkages etc. The second phase covered accounts keeping, formatting, MIS, Business development planning etc.
Developing the system of some NGOs, meanwhile SMVS, Seva Sangha, HDC etc.
· Executive Director of Bandhan participated "International Commonwealth Grameen Dialogue Program" at Grameen Bank, Bangladesh from 27th July to 8th August 2002 for Grameen replication in West Bengal, India with the financial and technical assistance of Grameen Trust.

Projects: ASA (Bangladesh)-BANDHAN Collaboration Project

Description
ASA-Bangladesh - one of the largest sustainable MFI and Bandhan as made an agreement on 31st March 2002 duly signed by Managing Director of ASA and Executive Director of Bandhan at central office of ASA in Dhaka.
As per this agreement ASA will provide all kinds of technical assistance to this project primarily for one year.
Aim of the joint collaboration is to establish cost effective and sustainable micro-Credit model suitable for West Bengal and in the other part of India with slight modification.
As a technical support ASA will provide two skilled senior personnel of regional manager's level grade, who have 8 to 10 years experience in ASA micro-Credit operation.
The senior one will be responsible to train the local staff, developed working manual, MIS & FIS, accounting, record-keeping & reporting and monitoring & supervision. Another one will act as a branch manager and will be responsible for day to day management of the branch.
The purpose of this collaboration is not only develop the materials and system only, the team will train the local staffs and will make them fully skilled in Micro Finance operation including delinquency management, Financial Management, and achieving sustainability.
Beside these two personnel, four follow-up consultancy visits will be done by General Manager and Consultant of ASA. In each visit, they will spend 7 days and will properly guide the team and local staff as well.
The Managing Director of ASA will monitor the programs and will pay two visits during the project period. The ASA-Bandhan team will also provides some technical assistance to the other partners of SIDBI in West Bengal.