Aadhar
Aadhar – Saving and Credit Program (Pillar II)
“Aadhar” which means “Support” in Nepali is a micro-credit program that provides loans with low interest without any collateral (group guarantee) to single women. Aadhar plays a vital role in the empowerment of single women entrepreneurs by serving as a backbone for small businesses. WHR through Single Women Entrepreneurs’ Group (SWEG) provides skill development training for different kinds of income generating activities to single women, who are then supported by Aadhar to start the activity. It also facilitates women to save in an organized way. Women in the districts and in Kathmandu save on a monthly basis and can be available as a loan for needy women for income generation activities. Aadhar has been established to cater all women; married, unmarried, single women who are registered as members of WHR, however, priority is given to single women (widows). It is an easy and simple saving-credit scheme.
What Aadhar Does?
- It provides loans with low interest without any collateral (group guarantee) to women who wish to set up small business.
- It also enables women to save even the smallest amount in an organized and profitable way.
Aadhar- In changing lives of many single women
- Single women have succeeded to start their own small scale business and become economically independent by taking loan from Aadhar.
- Many single women have now become entrepreneurs and being economically independent.
- Single women have been able to support the education of their children through the income generated from their business.
- Aadhar has helped to make the single women independent and increase their level of confidence. It has helped in changing the living standards of those women. Single women have also found change in the perspective of the society.
- Aadhar also helped the habit of saving among the women and also taught the importance of group cooperatives.
- Danish Embassy has supported a sum of Rs. 14 Lakh as a revolving fund for saving/credit program to single women through Aadhar.
- Many single women are now engaged in livestock farming, agro-farming, mushroom farming, catering services, grocery shops, tailoring shops, cart shops, running cafeteria, boutique, driving (auto cars, rickshaws) etc. through taking loan from Aadhar.
You can also be a regular member of Aadhar and get the opportunity.