deAsra Foundation

Anita’s meal service was born of necessity. As a single mother caring for her school-going son, she desperately needed to bring home an income. A natural inclination towards cooking and a rising number of busy professionals in Pune’s Hinjewadi suburb struck her as a good place to seek out a living. She began to take orders for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and charged for every meal delivered.

For a long time, Anita could only cater to a limited number of individuals as she did not have enough money to invest in buying more supplies. She knew of no one who would provide her with financial assistance. Although she had a bank account, she had no rental agreement and regular source of income which are prerequisites to avail formal credit.

Help finally arrived in the form of a message on a radio show when she heard of DeAsra, a not-for-profit association that supports entrepreneurship. For the first time, Anita realized that there were people who were ready to help her. Through DeAsra, she applied for a loan from Rang De for a sum of Rs.50000 which would cover the cost of the necessary purchases and transportation of dabbas. With support from our social investors, we raised the required funds and disbursed it to Anita.

That was 11 months ago.

On a recent visit to Pune, our representatives met with Anita and were glad to hear that the business was faring well. The fresh infusion of capital had helped her purchase all the things she needed and her monthly income had consequently jumped from Rs.20000 to Rs.30000-Rs.40000.

We learned that Anita maintains accounts on a daily basis and makes good use of her bank account. At the end of every month, she sends a bill to her customers who directly deposit whatever is owed in her account. In the same manner, she pays her monthly loan installments directly into the Rang De account.

Anita Hature’s experience is a fine example of how microcredit can sustain a small urban business and create a positive impact on profitability. We hope to extend support to more women like her who engage in remunerative self-employment and need a helping hand from time to time.

Thank you for investing in Anita’s loan. If you would like to help other women from Maharashtra, please click on the link.