Enabling Communities, th Transforming Annual Lives 13Report CmF is registered under - Rajasthan Societies Act 1958 Foreign Contribution Regulation Act Sec 80G (5) of Income Tax Act 1961 Under 12 A of Income Tax Act 1961 No. 766 dated 13.02.2007 No. 125560219 dated 28.06.2010 (valid till 31st October 2021) No. 2768 dated 29.02.2008 No. 2767 dated 29.02.2008 Our Auditors – 2019-20 M/s Deloitte Haskins & Sells LLP, Mumbai Statutory auditors M/s PKF Sridhar & Santhanam LLP, Mumbai Internal auditors CONTENTS Message from the Chair 05 About Us - Centre for microFinance 06 Our Approach 07 Where We Work 08 Theme 1 – Microfinance & Agriculture-based Livelihoods 09 Theme 2 – Education 13 Theme 3 – Skill Building 18 Theme 4 – Maternal & Child Health & Nutrition 22 Theme 5 – Water, Sanitation & Hygiene 27 Media Coverage 31 Our Partners 32 Governance 34 Audited Statement of Accounts 2019-20 35 message from the chair Dear Friends, The year 2019-20 was an enriching one for us at CmF on During the year, our efforts were focussed on many counts. This was the fifth year of the implementation streamlining these models - enhancing the quality of of the multi-thematic program – Transformation Initiative. implementation and seeking active collaboration of Through the launch of this program in 2015, CmF has community and government departments for attempted a unique effort to demonstrate proof of sustaining the positive changes. In the coming year, we concept of holistic development in a defined geography will consolidate the work under Transformation of around 295 tribal villages in South Rajasthan. Until Initiative and prepare a strategy for upscaling the 2015, CmF’s efforts were focused on creating an enabling program learnings through a combination of ecosystem for the growth of the Self-Help Group (SHG) implementation and technical support role in South model of microfinance and promoting rural livelihoods. Rajasthan and other under-served regions of the state. The expansion into new themes of education, nutrition and wash almost around the same time was a challenging The other important development during the year was task and it took us some time to understand the the signing of two technical support partnership complexities of each of these. At the same time, this agreements with the state government –one each with journey has been a rewarding one as new colleagues the rural development and the education departments. from different professional backgrounds and new Both partnerships provide CmF an opportunity to bring thematic partners added to the diversity and richness of in innovation and process orientation within the experience and expertise within the organization. ongoing government programs and benefit large sections of the population. These partnerships contribute to further the founding mission of CmF to With the efforts of CmF and work as a resource agency for sector development. implementation partners, glimpses of transformation are now visible in many pockets. These include model Anganwadi Centers with engaging pre-school activities for young children, vibrant school libraries providing creative spaces to them, As we present to you the annual report of CmF women led SHGs and agri-enterprises for 2019-20, the country and the world at large and community initiatives for safe are yet to come to terms with the full impact of the Covid-19 pandemic which brought drinking water to name a few. everything to a standstill towards the end of the financial year. The pandemic has starkly highlighted the perils of unequitable growth. It has also reiterated the relevance of the work of development organizations like CmF. In 2020-21, we will re-align our programs to support as many vulnerable households women and children as we can. Linking with social entitlements, creation of local job opportunities and community level programs – learning camps and malnutrition prevention are possible ways in which we envisage our contribution to support communities overcome the shock of the pandemic and build back better. M.S. SRIRAM CMF Annual Report 05 ABOUT US The Centre for microFinance (CmF) was seeded in 2007 as a state level KEY INITIATIVES resource organization to catalyse the growth of the community led microfinance (women’s Self-Help Group model) sector in Rajasthan. Over the last 13 years, it has been CmF’s constant endeavour to adapt and expand its role and functions in keeping with the evolving needs and aspirations of the communities During 2007-2012, it works with and the CmF worked mainly on providing technical and macro-environment comprising of capacity building support to a number of stakeholders in the microfinance sector namely, banks, government policy and programs. development partners of the Tata Trusts’ Sakh-Se-Vikas (SSV) initiative, government departments and SHG federations. Enabling credit linkage from banks, development of quality training resources and strengthening institutional processes in SHGs and federations were the key focus of CmF during this period. As the National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM) rolled out in the state, CmF enabled the SSV partners and federations to partner with the program and leverage resources for enhanced credit to SHG members. From 2013 onwards, CmF began developing 1 Seeded by the Tata Trusts in 2003 as a regional programme, the Sakh-Se Vikas livelihood programmes for SHG Initiative has sought to demonstrate a financially viable model of community based members. The SSV partners microfinance. Core to the SSV model is the and CmF successfully promotion and nurturing of a three tiered structure of women's Self-Help Groups, leveraged funds from the Clusters and Federations which provides savings, credit and livelihood support Government of India under the services to its members. Mahila Kisan Sashaktikaran Pariyojana (MKSP) to augment Since 2015, productivity and incomes from CmF has expanded its domain to multi-thematic implementation in 3 blocks agriculture and dairy. Capacity of South Rajasthan. The ‘Transformation Initiative’ program is aimed at building and knowledge impacting the quality of life indicators of tribal households in tribal villages partnership of CmF & Tata through layering of education, nutrition, wash and skilling programs with the Trusts with the state microfinance and livelihood work of CmF and partners. CmF is also providing government in the Mitigating technical support to the district administration in Sirohi for the ‘Transforming Poverty in West Rajasthan Aspirational Districts Program’ initiated by the NITI Ayog in 2018. This support Project helped scale up CmF’s entails training and capacity building of government functionaries in the areas concept of cluster based of education and maternal and child health and nutrition. livelihood development. CMF Annual Report 06 OUR APPROACH Ensuring sustainability of impact, knowledge and community led processes remains the core of all programmes of CmF. We endeavour to build and share knowledge and promote innovations in all themes we work in. Building partnerships with stakeholders- community institutions, non-profits, banks, government and others to mainstream the learnings and best practices of our work in larger programmes for desired impact is a cross-cutting role of CmF across all the themes. WHICH CmF IS STRIVING TO CONTRIBUTE TO IN ITS PROJECT AREAS CMF Annual Report 07 WHERE WE WORK Outreach as on March 2020 8 districts 1.02 lakh HHs 30,410 reached through 16 blocks children Technical support to govt. microfinance & reached 1096 villages livelihood programs through Education education 33 districts programs CmF & livelihoods 9 districts Microfinance WASH Alwar Pali Karauli Sirohi Dausa Tonk Udaipur Dungarpur Pali Alwar Sirohi Dausa Jaipur Karauli Livelihoods Education Tonk Alwar Pali Karauli Sirohi Pali Dausa Tonk Udaipur Sirohi Dungarpur Pali Udaipur Sirohi Dungarpur Nutrition Skilling Tonk Sirohi Sirohi CMF Annual Report 08 Theme 1 MICROFINANCE & AGRICULTURE BASED LIVELIHOODS ushering in rural prosperity through community led institutions Building self-sustained Self-Help Group federations to The livelihoods work in South Rajasthan initiated under ensure access to affordable financial services has been the Transformation initiative in 2015 has now expanded the core of CmF’s work since its inception in 2007. to other blocks in the region. Apart from strengthening Around 2013, CmF and its partner organizations SHG federations and productivity enhancement in initiated focussed work in agriculture and livestock agriculture and livestock, now CmF is also focussing based livelihoods. Through the consortium project of on access to irrigation and market linkages through CmF and partners under the Mahila Kisan collectives and individual entrepreneurs. Sashaktikaran Pariyojana (2013-17) and its technical support partnerships with the state government in their IFAD and World Bank funded projects, CmF has demonstrated cluster based livelihood models enabling SHG members to graduate from subsistence No. of SHG mode to an enterprise approach over a span of 3-4 years. federations partnered with Operational area 16 blocks across 38 8 districts No. of HHs Sirohi, Pali, reached Udaipur, through SHGs Dungarpur, Alwar, Dausa, Karauli and Tonk 1,00,237 No. of HHs supported Training & extension Strengthening SHG federations for livelihood support to improve - strong governance & financial productivity enhancement self-reliance 49,751 Strategy State level technical support to government for World Bank program Market linkages for Facilitating access 130federations agri-inputs and farm produce to irrigation CMF Annual Report 09 MICROFINANCE & AGRICULTURE BASED LIVELIHOODS HARVESTING PROSPERITY Mamta Devi is an SHG member in Boblfala village Her SHG- by the same name as hers i.e., Mamta Mahila In October 2018, CmF partnered with the Amrita Swayam Sahayata Samuh is part of the Amrita Rajeevika Federation to initiate the Lakhpati Kisan Rajeevika Mahila Sarvangin Vikas Sahakari Samiti- an Program with the SHG members. Mamta saw a ray of SHG federation in the Bhoodar cluster of Rishabhdev hope for her family in this program. Along with (Udaipur). Mamta’s husband Shankarbhai worked as Shankarbhai, she started attending the farmer training an electrician.