Nirdhan Development And Microfinance

The organisation believes in empowering young people to lead the movement for poverty reduction and awareness. The volunteer programme aims to provide field experience and shape compassionate individuals. It focuses on highlighting the income gap between rural and urban dwellers, the disparities in access to facilities, the aspirations of village dwellers, and the challenges they face.

The 'Poultry Development Services' (PDS) is a prominent initiative launched in 2011, empowering impoverished families, especially women, to establish a home-based enterprise through chicken farming and product sales. PDS fosters entrepreneurship by providing families with the necessary training and toolkit for starting the business. To ensure ownership and commitment, participating farmers contribute a nominal amount (currently 400 rupees) towards the toolkit's cost (currently 1100 rupees).

AMS, an agricultural training and advisory programme, was introduced in 2014 to assist impoverished and marginalized farmers who faced various challenges. Many farmers previously engaged in Poultry Development Services sought help due to unprofitable farming caused by poor soil quality and escalating input costs. AMS takes a comprehensive approach, offering solutions such as soil testing, crop selection, access to wholesale markets for inputs, guidance on bio-fertilizers and bio-pesticides, formation of Farmer Interest Groups, access to banking facilities, and government agricultural programs. Farmers contribute a nominal amount (currently 100 rupees) for the training received, gaining self-sufficiency within the Farmer Interest Groups.

In 2015, thorough research was conducted on the viability of goat farming, locally known as 'Goateries,' in West Bengal. Farmers receive two female goats on loan, expert training, and animal insurance after paying a small deposit. Over two years, each female goat undergoes three reproductive cycles, producing five kids. As repayment, the farmer returns five goat kids to Nirdhan and keeps the other five for selling or breeding. This sustainable model enables farmers to establish their own goat farming enterprise while generating income for Nirdhan through goat sales and reinvestment.

On June 30th, 2019, Nirdhan Development and Microfinance, along with Lodge Kathmandu of Nepal No. 8194 EC and District Grand Lodge of Bengal, organised a successful Eye Camp pop-up clinic in Kanchrapara. Led by Dr Debashis Das from the Eye Foundation and Research Centre (EFRC), a team of 10 doctors and optometrists dedicatedly served the community on a probono basis. The clinic examined and tested 145 patients, providing affordable spectacles at Rs. 100/- per pair, aiming to promote a sense of responsibility for their eye health.