24864 4 July 1999

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^'IMd Bank /

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2 SEWA Bank1. .P -nrAhm daia d A hmedabad city is humming and a broadening of the area under

a i Gujarut ' with industrial, trade and the jurisdiction of the Ahmedabadcommercial activity. Municipal Corporation.

Ahmedabad is one of the 10 largestcities of India with a population of he Ahmedabad Municipol Corporation3.2 million (1991 census), which is Thas prepared a recent profile of theconstantly increasing. It is the biggest habitat of the urban poor living in definedcity in the state of Gujarat in north- slum areas of Ahmedabad. According towestern India, and the second this survey:t center (afte s umoid *42 percent of the population lives inbiggest tradecenter(aerMumbai), slums.in western India. As in other Indian * 1.2 million people or 300,000

,ar - /hiai n J cities, the process of urbanization households are located in marginal homes.has resulted in a massive increase in * There are 2,412 slum pocketsF.j r- {, 4 7 % $ t has resulted in a massive increase in throughout Ahmedabad.

the population of the poor. The * 83 percent of slums are situated on~~ ~overall growth rate over the decade private land.j I i @ J 1981-91 was approximately 0 10 percent of slums are situated one~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~~~919 wa approximately4 Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation land.

20 percent. This has led to a marked * 7 percent of slums are situated on stateexpansion of the city limits into government land.

previously unserviced rural areas

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. Of the femAl d be Self Employed Womeds economically and in terms of their4 lab?tr foce . z , Association (SEWA) decision-making ability.

XtL (ndbe, mo.re ; . , Support services like savings and¶ ttltan 94RpkrcMnt¶' i;,. ^The Self Employed Women's credit, health care, child care,

thSSages,n :for jmMal. k #Association (SEWA) is based in insurance, legal aid, capacity-building

eW %m,# , zje.-d , j .;t ft, Ahmedabad city. SEWA Bank is one of and communication services are4 the support services that was developed important needs of poor women. If

,t,tT J oF ,8 rqA) t S x in response to the demand from the women are to achieve their goals of full*1 . members of SEWA Union. Thus, it is employment and self-reliance, these

4.i. S *f + ' ,.'} . , '1 important that the aims services are essential. And yet, unlike

and objectives of SEWA Union be the organized sector where there is at

"Xlf importantA if clarified first. teast some access to such support

r< ^v ; 4 4 >.< 1 >SEWA is a trade union registered in services, poor, self-employed women' 1972. It is an organization of poor, have no such access. They have to pay

,F. r , ' J, d k1 e d*VU self-employed women workers in the for expensive health care, child care or

informal sector. These are women who legal fees out of their own meagre

:.. ;. . earn a living through their own labor or earnings. They also have to bear the

a, .' 3 t; small businesses. They do not get expenses involved for maternity care,

} 2 .H , 4 § ~~~regular salaried employment with accidents and death. One fire or flood

iii ,> l 'S ki ' 5 ^ n welfare benefits like workers in the wipes out a lifetime of hard work and

2 . t < * t a ~~~organized sector. They are the careful savings or tools of self-, ^ >i;fiff, -rtf ) '¢ unprotected, informal labor force of employment. Such crises push women

1 Xsa *s Zi; *>- >K-FWour country. Constituting 93 percent of and their families further into the cycler 'iMS J-;{ 1; tf the total labor force, these are workers of poverty and indebtedness. As far as

;Ins : 4^ 9JS ,j 2 t of the unorganized sector. Of the banking services are concerned,

. ' ' ^ikt ,jW "t female labor force in India, more than despite being amongst poor women's

sector. However, their work is not extent, not available to them. These

counted and hence remains invisible. women still do not have access to

4L > ; , p.tl In fact, women workers themselves savings and credit facilities offered by the

remain uncounted or undercounted formal banking system in our country.

and invisible. Women in the informal sector are

Among SEWAXs main goals are the ready to pay for services and in fact,

t ¢ *. E w.s % . organization of women workers for full this results in the financial viability

. employment and self-reliance. Full of the support services. They do not

:: 4 . employment means employment have to be totally dependent on

whereby workers obtain work security, subsidies. Some support services

i4r Vomeilhet i j income security, food security and promoted by SEWA, such as savings

tq Wnfome gjh <~ I social security (the least of which and credit, health and child care,

reali.Kstzpl1,y4JfX s M ~should be health care, child care and have formed their own cooperatives.services adOi*i ; 4.4 ;shelter). SEWA organizes women to These cooperatives have gained

f his rest Its u 4j ensure that every family obtains full operational self-sufficiency. SEWAthe fina¶¢bX1 employment. Through self-reliance, Bank, for example, has achieved

of r F t . . " g SEWA feels that women should be financial viability for many years, while

the supp5pt4 ?' autonomous and self-reliant, the other cooperatives are steadilyservace~j R fs s : individually and collectively, both moving towards this goal.

AV_4, >4; r NS tiiS 2

SEWA Bank, AhmedaBad ank i ow; i

Mahila SEWA Sahakari Bank is SEWA e SW BANK .members' largest and most important I, do-o4-I

cooperative, and the first of its kind in .s_-rehod..g rIndia. The Bank is owned by self- d areemployed women through individual f imuaie.ad

shareholdings, and its policies are 3 w eeted Bordformulated and ratified with their own terj

elected Board of women workers. TheBank is professionally run by qualified Women's Cooperative Federation andmanagers, who are held accountable to the Women's District DWCRA (producer : i 9the Board. groups) Association.

In 1974, SEWA Bank was established 0 Appropriate mechanisms: Bankingwith 4,000 depositors. Today, over with the poor and illiterate requires125,000 poor women are depositors. special procedures and mechanismsThe Bank's total working capital is suited to their culture, their needs ^ ,currently Rs 210 million. and their economy. This requires

adopting procedures and designingSEWA Bank's Approach to schemes suitable to them, such asBanking with Poor Women collecting daily savings from their

Banking for the development of poor places of business or houses orwomen requires an approach which providing local savings boxes. Itmeets their particular needs and draws requires special loan procedures which 4on their capabilities. In its 25 years of take into account their economy. Itexperience, SEWA Bank has formulated requires savings and credit schemesthe following approach: which allow for small accounts of* Encouraging savings by women: regular savings, and adapts to theirThis is a method of ensuring financial crises situations.discipline which results in improved 0 Asset creation: A major factor . 'loan repayment rates. Savings are a which keeps the self-employed withinfall-back, a form of social security in the vicious cycle of poverty is the lack itimes of crises. Whenever she urgently of assets in their name. For women,needs cash in times of sickness or the situation is even worse; when a [death, she has her savings to turn to. family does acquire an asset, it is* Integrated approach: SEWA rarely in the name of the woman. KBank's integrated approach is what Asset creation with the ownership of (IE)distinguishes it from other microcredit women has been the priority of SEWA .

efforts. Access to markets, information, Bank. This includes transfers oftechnical know-how and social support agricultural land and houses in theservices are as important as money if women's names and acquiringthe poor are to become a part of implements, tools, shops, handicrafts BankinFlitthemainstream society. SEWA Bank works or livestock in their own name. In [ poor andclosely with SEWA - the trade union - addition, SEWA Bank promotes pG land with other economic organizations women's own capital, bank accounts, j leueaof the SEWA movement such as the shares and savings certificates. meb is.

3

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.' ti (t{ o; s

No 'formal;4 Facts and Figures: The average monthly income of aX collateral ubch as SEWA Bank member of SEWA Bank is Rs 1,000,

,, a land od-r-e'rsh'ip whereas the average income of her

' 6document is . 0 X SEWA Bank's account holders are whole family is Rs 2,500 per month.required-in order ^ made up of approximately 70 percent 0 SEWA Bank's depositors come to the

,°to,°. cveure a i . . ...... hif 2w urban and 30 percent rural self- Bank through three main sources:PM; , 5fgIr r I . employed women. The majority of o through SEWA organizers, who workinrstuSEWAtuBenk an these women are also members of the in the field and are in personal

SEWA trade union. The urban female contact with self-employed women. - '~ *< ;': S depositors of SEWA Bank are engaged on a day-to-day basis;

', ." ',, . , ' in three predominant activities: O through existing members of SEWA

0i Vendors and SEWA Bank; and'6 t Laborers O through word-of-mouth.

i, t .* aJ? tt i o Home-based workers 0 To date, SEWA Bank has more than

Organizational Structure of SEWA

Board of Directors (13)*

Area Leaders (40)**

Managing Director (1)

Manager (1)

.. ;- g ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Accountant (1 )

i | ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Assistant Accountant (1 ) lr \\rlll

Share Dept Term Deposit Savings Sp l LoanI Fixed/recurring pension Savings current A/c - Short term loan

- Med term loan- Long term loan

Training Dept Recovery Dept Mobile Branch/DeptBoard Director/Members/ Repayment Collection centre,

Organizers/Leaders/ - A/c openingStaff etc - Saving collection

Agricultural Dept Housing/lnfrastructure Loans LComputer Accounts Dept,V Agricultural training, - New houses Cash book, general

Annual marketing, Loan - House repair ledger/liquidity/checking, Linkages with - House extension return statementgovernment (subsidy) - Monsoon proofing

- Infrastructure upgradation

*Governance and all policy decisions are tormulated by the Board. The rest of the staff, comprised of paid professionals,B perform an implementation function only.

As Otl X , / r:'s'- j~~~~~~~

125,000 depositors. o financial counseling; and* SEWA Bank provides a range of loan o training programs on opening and .products and services including: effectively using a bank account. ''' Io income generation loans; 0 It is estimated that 40 percent ofo limited consumption loans (for SEWA Bank's overall housing/shelter-

emergencies); related upgradation loans are for .O housing and infrastructure loans; infrastructure upgradation. This means '?o integrated work security scheme on that approximately 15 percent of total i '5

a contributory basis, providing life loans disbursed by SEWA Bank are for *r

insurance, work security insurance infrastructure-related needs.and maternity benefits; SEWA Bank's Credit Fund is made : 4:

o loans to participate in Ahmedabad up of:Municipal Corporation's 'Parivartan' * 1974-1997: Only savings from ownprogram; depositors.

* 1998: Additional

funds of Rs 28.8 million ~~from HUDCO 1, for

Made up of elected longer term housing andrepresentatives from each infrastructure loansof the various activities thatSEWA members are (sanctioned but yet to beinvolved in e.g. bidi rolling, fully released). vending, paper picking, 0 1999: Additional re- block printing,cbaloker erintcg, finance of Rs 27 millioncraftworkers etc. J -zx:DM ,

from HDFC2, for longer iterm housing and .infrastructure loans 4- P"(sanctioned but yet to befully released). __ < X;

Cash Section Currently, SEWA Bank ing to collect her loanReceipt payment h a a

has an averageE ,'*iloan repayment Growth L}>t

l_____________ rate of 94 percent. 1977-78: Loans to 173 womenRural Dept 0 SEWA Bank totalling Rs 31,400

Savings/Loan charges its clients Repayment rate: 92 percent17 percent interest 1997-98: Loans to 29,500 women tF -- fper annum on totalling Rs 86.5 million 4loans from its own Repayment rate: 95 percent

Social Security Scheme depositors' credit e,'Annual insurance! fund, and 13 percent interest per r

Accident/life insuranceMaternity benefit! annum on loans accessed fromSickness/Death mainstream housing finance institutions

such as HUDCO and HDFC.Nomen appointed from the community: One' ' ':$' * % <ider/area. Their role is to motivate members 1HUDCO: Housing and Urban Development :'open accounts with SEWA Bank, take lo:ans Corporation Limited.d repay them. This is an honorary position. 2HDFC: Housing Development Finance

Corporation Limited.

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two guarantors (one of whom is.' . SLoan Process Map for SEWA Bank - formally employed and

Housing and Infrastructure Loans possesses a valid payslip) is

Informal sector woman worker opens account at SEWA Bank required for all loans.

Account holder has to be a regular saver with BSEWA Bank for at least one year Eli Ban k: Cea

,*t:,^ ' Si r b' . | ' ~~~~~~~~~~~Eligibility CriteriaNow eligible to apply for a housing/infrastructure loan Sby completing loan application form at SEWA Bank

r .depositor saves regularly for atSEWA Bank undertakes a pre-sanction inspection via a field visit l

to check authenticity of her application/need for loan' >. s. , ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~eligible for a housing or

Housing field workers submit their approval/comments ibleafor anhousing porf 2 ' > < K to the housing/infrastructure department Infrastructure loan. A proportionA of the past years' savings are

Loan up to Rs 5,000 Loan > Rs 5,000. , ,,. + ' ' ~~~~~~~~~~~~~then taken as a lien by the Bank,

Loan sanctioned by as a form of security. In addition,Loan Commitee written guarantees from two

Loan sanctioned by ~~consisting of:. <. ; . Loan sanctioned by Managing Dc persons are required, one of: 4 'u, $ ) Managing Director - Two Directors whom must provide a payslip or

; , E (* < 1* - Manager an income certificate. Finally, a

-Loan OfficertI recommendation from the Area

Leader is also desirable. SEWA;S h ' .; S. Board of Directors formally approves loans

. $ i. t at monthly Board meeang ~~~~Bank does not require any otherat monthly Board meetingform of collateral/security.

Applicant is informed that loan has been sanctioned The loan coordinator at the$ ~~~~via SEWA Bank notice boardvia SEWA Bank notice boad 'Bank makes a recommendation

Loan amount is paid into borrower's saving account based on the following criteria:

X; w . , I s~~~~~~~~~~~~~avings pattern, type and size ofPost-loan sanction visit by field worker, to ensure

appropriate utilization business, income of the'St s '1 r i' Ast ~~~appropriate utilization..- n q ^>.> > .depositor/family, size of family,

ability to repay/repayment of0 Interest rate on loans from HUDCO previous loans, community image of

to SEWA Bank: 9 percent; loans from the person, purpose of proposed loan

HDFC to SEWA Bank: 10 percent. and cost estimates.

' Maximum loan amount per In addition, a field worker is

individual: Rs 25,000. assigned to do a pre-sanction home0 No collateral is required in order to visit as well as check the authenticity of

r , procure a loan from SEWA Bank, but the loan application. Following this, the

Growth of SEWA Bank

Year No. of Share Capital No. of Deposits Working Capital ProfitShareholders (Rs) Depositors (Rs) (Rs) (Rs)

1977-78 7,044 81,100 11,656 1,267,500 1,448,600 13,7001982-83 ! 8,98 196,300 19,057 5,060,200 5,815,700 116,3001987-88 11,329 884,000 23,156 11,232,500 .14,931,000 370,0001992-93 15,454 2,132,300 35,443 53,470,100 ,67,124,000 827,2001997-98 '22,205 8,410,000 87,779 152,027,000 209,578,000 1,758,000

~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~6.,,,~ ~ ~ "A A. .I ,

loan department forwards its * .Cira 19recommendations to either the Comparative Perform7nce Criteri (1997) Managing Director (loans less than or SEWA Bankequal to Rs 5,000) or the LoanCommittee (loans more than Financial Ratios PublfiSector Private Sector SEWABa'BcWf,, ' ;

Rs 5,000) for their approval. Finally, Stability:

all loans are formally sanctioned Capital + Reserves/ 0.07 0 08 0'17 .

by the Board of Directors at their eptmonthly meeting. Profitability:

Profit/Deposits 1t01 0.01 0 01 Profit/Advance O2 0.02 0 03

The Housing andLiquidity: b.49 0.57 0 51'Infrastructure Finance Loons/Deposits 0.49 0.57 0 51i

Needs of Poor Women: theSEWA Bank Experience certainly true for the members of SEWA e

residing in the slums of Ahmedabad. qresiding ~~~~~~~has.d,osje~ *

Improved infrastructure is a pressing The rationale behind addressing the t.need for SEWA members of housing and infrastructure-related l gain tAhmedabad city. Self-employed women needs of members of SEWA Bank women aremembers are active contributors to the include the following: twrtheconomy but receive little back in terms 0 keeping SEWA members and theirof support or security. Therefore, SEWA families out of homelessness; Jayshree Vyas?organizes them so that they can 0 helping them to upgrade their home, ManaginguDirector jimprove their working conditions and thereby improving their productivity .Bliving environment. For most, these two and quality of life;

are very closely connected. Many self- * improving access to water, sanitation .^ employed women like garment- and other basic infrastructure ;.stitchers, weavers and bidi (tobacco) services; and I'rollers use their home as their * providing an asset to increase their .workplace. Women who work outside economic security. .

the home, such as vendors and Women are the major home-users,ragpickers, also use their home to home-makers and home-based .e

store, sort and process their products. producers. Her home in the form of :4IFurthermore, the availability of shelter is not only an asset in the *¢'

infrastructure affects the productivity of traditional sense, but also a productive .

all workers and producers who use asset. This is even more true of poortheir home as a workplace. and working women. Often, assets -

The provision of improved housing such as shelter- are safer in the handsand infrastructure for poor women of women than men. Yet, it is women, fI;. .forms an important part of the overall especially poor women, who find it and wen m e,di .,development strategy of SEWA. Even hardest to access credit for housing andactiethough considerable investment and infrastructure. :con*ibutors tAeffort has been made by various private SEWA Bank has found that as the '

and more importantly, public agencies, economic security of their members . receivityJ <

the lack of adequate and affordable goes up, the demand for housing and i tin termsn qBbliving conditions remains a dream for infrastructure loans, including water '.,Isuppokt or .*most of the informal sector. This is supply and sanitation services, also i0sec, fity.1 .;

7

ei.4 Statement of Ahmedabad Parivartan Slum Networking Project(As on June 30, 1999)

Area *NGO/Technrical: Microfinance Industry/Private Total No. of No. of Percentage of.Agencyl Institution Sedor Households Depositors Depositors (%)

_,-* A ' ' 1. Sanjay Nagar Na ,SAATH SEWA Bank Sharda Trust 181 181 100Chhapara, Saraspur '' I *

2. Pravin Nagar-Gupta SAATH SEWA Bank - 1,083 875 81Nagar, Vasna

3. Sinheshwari, Meghani MHT SEWA Bank Lions Club 43 43 100Nagar

. . 4. Hanuman Nagar, CTM lResidents SEWA Bank Lions Club 294 284 97..Ssociation

5. Jay Shakti Nagar, .MHT SEWA Bank - 178 129 72Sadar Nagar

6 Ghanshyam Nagar, WIHT SEWA Bank - 130 130 100Amraiwadi

7 Sharifkhan Pathan Ni 'MHT SEWA Bank Lions Club 105 92 88. . , Chawl, Seipurbogha I

.i. 8 Meldi Nagar, Naroda IMHT SEWA Bank - 98 98 100Road

9. Jay Aruna Nagar, iResidents SEWA Bank - - 32Bagefirdosh Associafion

10. KK Vishwanoth Ni iMHT SEWA Bank - 450 339 75Chawl, Muni Nagar

11. Kailash Nagar, Ishanpur MHT SEWA Bank - 100 57 5712. Babalavlavi Nagar, MHT SEWA Bank - 105 89 85

Behrompura13. Aazad Nagar, Amraiwadi eResidents SEWA Bank - 180 139 77

Association 114. Patan Nagar 1+11, )MHT SEWA Bank - 420 224 53

Nikol Road15. Revaba Nagar, Odhar 'MHT SEWA Bank - 150 43 2916 Ashapuri Nagar, 'MHT SEWA Bank - 158 100 63

Amraiwadi17 Shivaii Nagar Residents' SEWA Bank - - - -

rA'sociati9,n

Tota? 3,675 2,655 72 %

xv A 'In four slums, the communities themselves have formed strong Residents Associations, which undertake all responsibilities related to the Parivartan program

increases. As a result, in response to a financing options and loan products.

. ' ' <, >s 0 ' 2h, great demand for such loans from its

members, SEWA Bank started its Collective Initiative: SEWAhousing and infrastructure finance Bank, Mahila Housing SEWA

,}9^ activities from 1976. SEWA Bank Trust and ParivartaniE ' -^ -> ws i S z provides both individual and collective

' loans for various purposes including Slum Networking ProlectVI~~~~~.installation of a private or community The urgent need to improve the

' source of drinking water, toilets, quality of life of slum dwellers has led

drainage, electricity, etc. to the concept of a pioneering effort

C . 'r iet .w2In order to aid the process of called the Slum Networking Project or

- j5 ',' .* ts,ff5 accessing better infrastructure facilities Parivartan3 . Mahila Housing SEWA. ~*, -4 ) u,' ¢ > .j : . - a critical factor of production for Trust (MHT) motivates the slum dwellers

-J,' r r many self-employed women - SEWA to join the Parivartan scheme. MHT was

'§+t 'h Bank has developed a variety of formed by SEWA and SEWA Bank,

.V A4,I f , , r}, ".1 2 . ................3The concept and designs for the pilot project were prepared by noted local architect,, s' Jr>t T , ;.t;., Himanshu Parikh. UNDP-World Bank Water and Sanitation Program - South Asia provided

, technical assistance to the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation.

8

amongst others, to promote 'improved and eighty one families in Sanjay t :habitat for poor self-employed women'. Nagar and 43 families in Sinheshwari i r''-.

The major objectives of the Trust are: Nagar now enjoy much better ;,

* to improve housing and infrastructure facilities, resulting ininfrastructure conditions for SEWA improved health, earnings and |members; standard of living. The project is I .

* to create improved access to services ongoing and is deemed to be a r ; hi

such as housing and infrastructure pioneering effort in forging successful Lifinance, legal advice and technical partnerships between individuals, | 4 '

advice; and communities, the public sector and the l ' -* to influence housing, infrastructure private sector (industry and

and urban development policies and corporation), in on-site slum .r I

programs. improvement. ' g MEach family has to contribute Two factors may be identified as 1 ::

Rs 2,100 in the Parivartan program. In critical in ensuring the success of the JkAaddition, local industries contribute Parivartan program: i

Rs 2,000 per family and the balance of 1. Community involvement and 'buyRs 2,000-3,000 per household is in' is crucial for any collective ; -provided by the Ahmedabad Municipal infrastructure project. On a basic level, iCorporation. The aim is to provide a unless each household living in thecomprehensive service package to slum pays its portion of cash I 'every family living in slums, consisting contribution, the physical work is k N* r'he- ..

of the following: unable to move ahead. This 'buy in' ArS .p~g.communituesif* Individual water supply has been greatly facilitated by the non- ; iidhat we- oI i?W%* Underground sewerage governmental organization partner in r4;the-Pvaritani* Solid waste disposal service Parivartan (SAATH in Sanjaynagar and ogra daieabe* Storm water drains Mahila Housing SEWA Trust in 12 of . and wilin§7to,* Internal roads and paving the 18 ongoing areas). They motivate $'iite4 :* Street lighting the communities to participate and towards bl* Landscaping. facilitate the formation of registered A infrast,ucre wq

To date, 18 slums have been Community Associations to representidentified for upgrading and the pilot the interests of the residents, engage in tlie,rareas.tia.phase including Sanjay Nagar and dialogue with the Corporation and take ey,ds X.Sinheshwari Nagar have been responsibility for the ongoing AS et #successfully completed. One hundred maintenance of the newly acquired

The Partners , 4znitheThe Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation provides the connection of each of confidenc i't*cTthese services up to the city mains and pays the full cost of off-site infrastructure .a

connections. In addition, the Corporation has also provided written land tenure security institutionalfor a period of 10 years to all the slum participants of Parivartan. u@p rtbe n

SEWA Bank acts as a financial intermediary and provides a loan of up to Rs 1,600 to F 'A

each family, if they require it, in order to meet their cash contribution. Mahila HousingSEWA Trust is involved as a technical agency. It ensures that the women residents of the B-a Bhat|slums are involved in the decisions made by the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation, thus w' , C,orinatorbuilding their own capacities. Hence, SEWA's role in this project is multifaceted. a u

T . ,,- t'. .

In Sinhe sh art .,? infrastructure. inner room and an open verandah;

Nagar, ,Parivartan , 2. The second crucial factor for some have two rooms; all houses have

~i * 0as resulte,d in.:: success is the provision of financial and attached toilets.

;tg ,+,credit-related services by a crediblefinancial institution, respected and Availability of water supply and

5~~~ ~~ tn aipaiS; at/ trusted by the community. SEWA Bank is sanitation before Parivartan

an appropriate financial intermediary * One piped water stand-post to

-, incici~n~elof } J %wK ; for Parivartan, playing the dual role of service the water requirements for all

i-J diieas't 'f .p q .... centralized cash collection point prior to 43 families; water available for fouriii .x. f . . .A hand-over to the Corporation, as well hours per day; highly irregular service.

*il z ^^1, . ¢ t1as providing credit to meet individual * Two to three hours spent by women

I contributions, where necessary. of each household in water collection.Due to the early involvement of the 0 Residents would bathe once or twice

N ,* NGO partner in order to motivate a week.

*K*3i members to 'buy in' to Parivartan, most 0 Drinking water stored in pots for two

residents had sufficient time to save to three days.

! ; j,rX 9, , ,their 'own contribution' amount of

'5 '. . ,t, z Rs 2,100. However, in cases where Availability of water supply and

residents have been unable to sanitation after Parivartan

accumulate the full amount by the due 0 Individual water tops in each house.

4 \ tC;>'7 444 't & date, they have accessed loans from 0 Residents are able to bathe every

4 ; SEWA Bank (up to Rs 1,600) towards day.their cash contribution. Loans may be 0 Long-term storage of drinking waterrepaid in minimum monthly no longer required.

*ffi .. t;2 i,, > , installments of Rs 100, or as a lump 0 Increase in income levels.

ffi sum. Interest (at 13 percent) is * Reduction in incidence of disease.

calculated on an outstanding

6.~ ts"r~ . ' j < { 4 balance basis. Specific effect on residents' income

Wb' 9 > t! t 2 r e X X Average increase of Rs 50 perCollective Initiative day in profit

i &. 3F @ ,, , > .4-< -- < Most women in Sinheshwari Nagar

A Closer Look at Slnheshwarl are vegetable and/or fruit vendors. To

6; 4f 2 2 li; 2 s Nagar: Newly Upgraded get the best supplies, they need to

Infrastructure Faeliltles Accessed reach the wholesale market as early as*2. 7$t o S through Parivartan possible. Earlier, due to time spent in

' jr tq {Socio-economic profile of 4

Sinheshwari Nagar*0 43 families reside here since 1988.

* Average household monthly income: $-.

'4 w qs * ik s Rs 2,500-3,000 per month. - 70 Average family size: four adults and

~~ I', ~ three to four chilidren.

' ~ 4 f -; * Main occupation: Vegetable/fruit , _

@ | . t *Type of house: Semi-pucca with one

1 0

water queues, they missed most of the _ ,, e. :,

'best' produce and had fewer hours .

available for vending.

Now they are able to reach the

wholesale market by 6 am, therebygetting the choicest selection, and t f,spend at least two more hours per dayin vending. On an average, profit I- -

levels vary between Rs 20-25 per hour.Thus, an extra two hours of vending perday has resulted in increased profit of individual accounts at SEWA Bank.Rs 40-50 per day for the vegetable All of the seven women who havevendors of Sinheshwari Nagar. taken loans to meet their cash

contribution are widows and thusSpecific effect on residents' health economically worse off than others.0 75 percent reduction in incidenceof disease and serious illnesses Significant Events

Within the residents of Sinheshwari for Residents ofNagar, outbreaks of five to seven Sinheshwari Nagarserious cases of typhoid, malaria,diarrhoea and skin disease were * December 23, 1997:common every month. This was 'Sinheshwari Mitra Mandal' ,.* I: -

, .' .E .,. {v! .,' 1E ., * .- . .......... 1especially true in the case of children. (Residents Association) formally . -*.Now, residents report a 75 percent registered with the Gujarat Charity treduction in diseases due to access to Commissioner. ,.clean water and toilets. * In response to demand from the

community, Mahila Housing SEWA Trust ,Financing Parivartan: the engaged with Ahmedabad Electricity >W haveStory of Sinheshwari Nagar Corporation to develop a collective It , hae t

electrification scheme for all the ; , ls 1fromjS 0* Seven loans taken from SEWA Bank residents of Sinheshwari Nagar. A . sik . fo

I Piriiiand(of Rs 1,600 each). reduced connection cost of Rs 620 per w ew..s^tj. WI'~~~~~~~~~~'* Rest of community paid their cash family has been negotiated and l for makingcontribution from own savings. deposited with the Ahmedabad houses,c;* Rs 85,000 already deposited in Municipal Corporation. Residents . iJTF6#eg'SEWA Bank to be forwarded to AMC. expect their individual electric ) not.,r&in the* Balance Rs 5,000 (5 percent) of connections to be available by iisbtn.- A2 ;community contribution due. August 1999. huse is o orr

Mahila Housing SEWA Trust field st,oage pice,uworkers have been visiting Sinheshwari Future Aspirations wcirehose,adNagar since 1996 - introducing A kParivartan to residents and urging them With the physical infrastructure in to save up for it. Thus, when physical place, residents have had a confidenceupgradation work began in August boost. Their next step is to access a1997, residents were ready with their collective loan from SEWA Bank to the hsi r a I acontribution safely deposited in amount of Rs 25,000 per household, to P <fResidents Associaitio

'4 The dual .: Individual Initiativessuppo,rt in terms>-of credit-f,r,olm . I 6 < / >tl3* There are many instances

E'KBon&i and ~~~~~~~~~~throughout Ahmedabad, wheretechnic'al, dvice <.EXA J se_techica advie the poor have begun to pay

~~.zndsbi,er'.'ision ~~~~~~~~~~~voluntarily to install drinkingwaefrom Mahilawae .1 -. and/or sanitation facilities. SEWA

Hosn EA. Bank has actively facilitated this

gave us the ' t ' ' Xp process by disbursing loans to

.' ^ S-confidenve' to ¢, , individual women, who wish to

a 4 build our sown ' ' s , , s ; J upgrade their existing7 toilef. P J , ,,, , X , ,X- infrastructure facilities.

, Munni Bibi l Panna Lal ki Chali in SaraspurWahid Ali' area of Ahmedabad is one such

Ready-made slum area, where a number ofgarment stitcher ,

'Resident of - SEWA Bank depositors have takenPanna :Lalki'Chali, - i individual loans to build their own

4' toilets. Loan amounts vary from

Rs 3,000-Rs 3,500. The technicalfor housing 'pgrdation, is isupervision for building the toilets

be used for housing upgradation, is provided by the engineers of Mahila

- .' . q including conversion to pucca walls and Housing SEWA Trust.roofing and adding a room. They have Of the 151 families that live in this

decided that the Residents' Committee area, 75 percent have built their ownwill stand as guarantor for the loan. toilets with help from Mahila Housing

'The community is now more confident SEWA Trust and SEWA Bank. As Panna

; about its own capabilities, negotiation Lal ki Chali is connected with the mainskills and ability to achieve more city sewer line, all of the toilets thatthrough a collective effort and is have been built here are hooked to the

' currently negotiating the deal with city grid and&are the pour-flush model

" .j SEWA Bank. (water-borne system).; fS > &I., . s,--VI~ ~ ~ ~ I

,For moreinformation, plea contact+

;hn'"' ' ' ta;nxt ,S4 ,r,t 4;'~ I ' ' ' -UNDP:-Wotridiank Watend Sanitation

* } nsta ,e,sc;r ......... >. ; I......... t55 Lodi Estat'e, Ndw:DeIhi!,1 10 003 Indiashro6ghout. 'Tel:(91)-(0)1 1-4690488/9 Fax:i(91)-(0)1 1-4628250

A hmedabZad, I E-mail wspsa@worldbank.orgwhe're the poor ^ GularatMahila HousinbSEWATrust;.are p;aying , I '_04,,4th Floor, SakharjlV, OppositeJowh-Hall Ashram Road,

'yvoluntarily for I Ahmedabdd 380 009, IndiaA ,4improvedSwdtie,r ,g, ', ., 4j Tel: (.S9'1 )-(0)79-6581659 'Fax: (941 )-(0)79 5506446

'E-mail:imahilahsg@icen'et.netand sali ita ti P' n,

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