Location of the project:  Mymenshing and Netrokona, Bangladesh

Purpose of the project

• To improve and empower poor communities especially the women providing financial assistance through Rural- Credit which refers to small loans made to low–income individuals to make them self  sustained or to start up very small businesses individually.
• Arrangement of training for formation of Groups
• Skill Development through training in managing micro-credit
• Skill Development in management of small-scale entrepreneurship
• Savings Habit Buildup among rural poor   

Project Characteristics:

Number of Participants served: Total 2474 (2334 Female and 140 Male)
Total Loan Disbursement : 5,91,47,000.00 BDT
Total Recover : 5,32,32,000.00 BDT
Rate of Recovery: 98:12%
Specific Characteristics of Participants (age, gender, etc): Most of the participants are rural poor and landless women laborer but funds are also initiated in response to the needs of particular groups such as man, women, children, and the disabled. As empowerment of  women is considered as basic goal women are getting more priority during the loan selection criteria.

Sources of fund : The credit program was primarily started with the collaboration of APHD- Hong Kong and presently using the money flow of Palli Karma Shahayak Foundation (PKSF).

Working Area

District	Upazila	No. of  Union	No. of Village
Mymensingh	Phulpur	10	47
	Haluaghat	07	49
	Dobawra	04	38
Netrokona	Purbadola	07	35
	Sadar	02	04
Dist-02	Upazila-05	Union-30	Village-173

Project Description

Project members are motivated to join the program through meetings individually. After selecting a specific income generating project members are given training to develop their skills, e.g, agriculture, homestead gardening, rice husking, poultry, dairy, small business, kitchen gardening, rickshaw/van purchase, handicraft. GRAMAUS staff meets with the members to form groups and assist the groups to plan different activities.  Awareness programs in the locality are held with the help of the participants in regular interval. Issue-based group meetings is a forum where each credit group member meets regularly to discus their constraints.

In presence of a micro-credit adviser each Group meeting help them to promote:

• New Idea generation
• Financial management
• Marketing
• Peer mentoring
• Business development and growth
• Confidence and self-belief
• Networking

Present Status of RCP

No. of  loanees			Total loan disbursement (BDT)	Total recovery (BDT)	Balance (BDT)	Rate of recovery	Credit distributed  to the project
Male	Female	Total	5,91,47,000	5,32,32,260	59,14,740	98.12%	Agriculture, Homestead Gardening Rice husking, Poultry, Dairy, small business, Pisciculture, Rickshaw, van Purchase, handicraft, etc.
140	2334	2474

 Success of the project in improving the living conditions, quality of life or environment of the participants:

Credit programs can be a means to women's empowerment. The Rural Credit program have a consciousness raising effect on the rural population and have a visible impact on the women's empowerment. Like male member of the family rural poor women are not able to contribute financially to their family due to lack of cash money .GRAMAUS had started Rural Credit Program in 1993 through which credits are provided to the smaller organized group to increase income by using surplus labor in off-seasons. The women's bargaining position in the home increases as they enhance their economic contribution to the family. The strength of earning and income together with the strength of belonging to a group help women establish new roles for themselves. Now the Scenario of Phulpur Village has changed a lot. The purchasing power has increased which was beyond their imagination.  The group formation among the women helps generating peer group support and solidarity. At present GRAMAUS credit recovery rate is 98.12 %.

Participants involved in each stage of the (planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation)

Members participated in:

• Needs assessment Survey
• Group Selection
• Group Meeting
• Training Sessions
• Project Evaluation