Social Marketing and Microfinance

With a base of over 600 SHGs, Pratinidhi is able to drive home social development messages easily. These SHGs are located in rural as well as urban areas.

Recently, an initiative has started in slums of Lucknow to provide clean drinking water to the slum dwellers. Sufficient awareness has been created among slum dwellers regarding clean drinking water. But cost of water purifying appliances has been an inhibiting factor.

To enable the slum dwellers to water purifying appliances, Pratinidhi has started social marketing of these appliances. Since financial base of the slum dwellers is very weak, they are often find it extremely difficult to purchase water purifying appliances. Pratinidhi is micro financing the slum dwellers to enable them to purchase water purifiers.

At present there is just one microfinance product. The finance is routed through SHGs and JLGs (joint liability groups). The financed amount is realised from the loanees in weekly or monthly installments.

Though in a very initial stage, Pratinidhi may start financing small business needs of the slum dwellers if the experiment becomes successful.