Impacts
Ramchandra Dhage, head of a family of 13, could grow only one crop a year on his 3.5 acres because of a water shortage and lived on $1,000 a year. Now he makes over $4,000 by growing summer crops using irrigation and raising fish from his 5 million liter rainwater harvest pond. He also invested in a small tractor to plough neighbors' fields and to transport their produce to market. He employs on average 10 families (40 individuals) throughout the year and contributes to the community by conducting farmers' training workshops on rainwater harvest technology and non-traditional cash crops such as marigolds. He also leads a self-help group and takes a leadership role in comprehensive village development activities.
His village, Belgaon Dhaga, India, faced the same problems of others in the developing world; how to create economic self-sufficiency for themselves and their neighbors. But how could they develop the skills they needed and find the capital to make their dreams come true?
Ecselance International became their partner and helped Belgaon Dhaga become more economically self reliant. Today the village has Ramchandra's irrigation pond, a water delivery business, a computer training academy, a village celebration catering business, and a buffalo dairy business. Building on their own success, the villagers are now considering additional projects. How does Ecselance International help make this transformation possible?
We've learned that once a community has the capacity to start new businesses, the people find many new opportunities for income generation and as success builds, outside assistance is no longer needed. This economic community capacity building is centered on the infrastructure established to support new and expanding businesses. People who want to start small businesses are encouraged and supported by providing information, funding and contacts with others that can help them.
During the development of the infrastructure, Ecselance International partners with local people and organizations to organize an advisory board of talented people from the surrounding area to provide advice and consultation to the new entrepreneurs. When all is ready, Ecselance International's revolving loan fund then finances the new businesses. This is critical because new entrepreneurs do not have a track record that allows them to borrow money from traditional sources. In the case of Belgaon Dhaga, Ecselance International loaned about $22,000.
Once the original loans are repaid, the money is recycled for more new businesses in the community or for expanding some of the businesses already started. Over time, the entrepreneurs have proven themselves and can obtain loans from established financial institutions. At this point they are economically self-reliant.
The impacts can be seen in individuals with increased feelings of self-worth because they can provide for their families. It can be seen in families that can improve their living conditions with better nutrition and health care because they have sufficient income. And it can also be seen in the community since members have an opportunity to solve their own problems since they do not have to leave to find work in large cities.
At Ecselance International we measure our success by the success of the communities we serve such as Belgaon Dhaga.