What We Do?
Through “Jeevantirth Foundation” (section-8 company with charitable objectives), we run Aapni Dukaan with the support of revolving fund of about 25 Lakhs generated with the support of ‘Giants Welfare Foundation’ members of Ahmadabad and friends of Jeevantirth. Annually we give support in the form of Wheat, Rice, Oil and other household things to about 1,000+ SHG members on easy instalments, at low interest, of affordable quality at fair price. Our turnover is about 75 Lakhs and we are moving towards sustainability.
Why We Do?
During season, rates of food items like wheat and rice are low but slum people have no buying capacity in bulk. Moneylenders charge very high interest rates. In routine also they get lower quality products at higher price in small quantities. Only saving from their hard-earned money is not sufficient to purchase things as per their needs. We thought to find solution of helping them by emerging, innovative way of ‘Social Business’. We wanted to demonstrate that in our times, through collective strengths we can have more bargaining power.
Theory of Change:
“A charity dollar has only one life; a social business dollar can be invested over and over again” said, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus. If you do business with the people whom you want to serve by creating a win-win situation, not only it will help people a lot, will be self sustaining and long lasting; it will generate revenue also to help them more.
On 10th Decemeber, 2016 we inaugurated ‘Aapni Dukaan’ which translates to ‘Our Shop’. It is a shop of the women, by the women and for the women. Its aim is to make available all the household necessities to the women of ‘Ramapir no Tekro’ for 365 days a year. At RamaPirNo Tekro and nearby slums more than 1,500 women (mainly rag pickers, domestic workers or daily wedge earners) has become part of our SHGs. They need Wheat, Rice, Oil and other household things round the year. Having to provide for a large number of households, enable us to purchase quality goods at wholesale rate; this cuts out the middle man and provides goods cheaper than the market rate. Moreover Aapni Dukaan provides these goods on easy instalments and fair interest rates to the needy. We want to run this activity based on ‘Social Business Model’ creating win-win situation for us and our beneficiaries. At present we are struggling to make it self-sustained and in future, the income generated by this venture will be used to further strengthening of SHGs. We hope that the road keeps unfolding as it has done so far.
Members also purchased home appliances and furniture like Home Floor Mills (35), Gas Kits (295), Sewing Machines (52), Steel Cupboards (26), Peti-Palang (12), 7,500 Sanitary Napkins etc.