Livelihood support to Corona virus affected micro-enterprises of women

IDEA has imparted skill training to more than 5000 youth and women since 2014 in beauty care, tailoring, bag making and catering under our livelihood programs . Many of these women were running flourishing business when the COVID-19 struck . Underprivileged people have been the most hit due to the Corona virus lockdown, according to our survey, 70% people are struggling for a survival . Their savings are drying up fast and in this scenario, women who run micro businesses are most affected and they need livelihood assistance in the form of monetary and non-monetary support to restart their business after lockdown.

Due to the lockdown, flailing businesses, poverty at home there is anxiety, hopelessness and growing discontent among these women. They need personal counselling to solve these problems and need motivation regularly. To run a business successfully , they need handholding support as per their need. Many women may have to relook at the products they make and the marketing strategies they follow . They may need training for bringing better finesse in their products and professionalism in their field. Packaging, marketing, costing are the areas where some need handholding which is specific to their product.

We plan to give livelihood assistance in form of monetary and non-monetary support to 250 self-employed women who have graduated from our Tailoring, Beauty parlour and Cooking & Catering courses.

Need based monetary support in the range of Rs. 5000 to Rs. 10,000/- per beneficiary will help them start or restart their business after the corona virus lockdown since their savings have dried up, this support will help them cover their losses to some extent till their businesses begin to operate as before. Self Help Group of women will be encouraged to start micro-group enterprises and the monetary support will be in the range of Rs. 30000 to 50000/-. Women will have to repay the soft loan to a revolving fund so that more women can be supported .  

Non-monetary support will include training in entrepreneurial development, training to refresh their business skills & new relevant skills required due to COVID-19 . It will also include life skill sessions on health, stress management, mental health etc. so that they can cope with the newly added personal and professional stress.

Social workers will provide personal counselling to solve these problems and to motivate and inspire them regularly.

Participants will get skill training , business development skills and will be equipped with skills to cope with the unexpected crisis . 250 needy women will be benefited from the project during the 1st year of the project and the monetary support will be continued by the Self Help Group . Financial assistance will support women to initiate/ revive and grow their business. Improved financial conditions of the family due to added income from the micro-enterprises of the women.

The Business development skills and handholding support from our team will lead to growth in business and enable women to overcome challenges and ready for competing

The training in Business development program ( EDP) will consist of soft skills like handling stress, planning & coping with business after COVID 19, motivational sessions and increasing the business (customers) etc. 15 participants will be enrolled in each session to maintain social distancing and for greater effectiveness. After the EDP training, women will be selected for further financial assistance in a phase wise manner based on their ready-ness.

Due to creation of a revolving fund the impact of the project grant will be maximized and sustained.