Activities within the grant and expected impact:
Over a three-year period, Ibtada would expand its programme from the existing 7,600 members to 9,000 members in five geographical locations, constituted into five federations. Major project components and activities are:

	Scaling up community-based microfinance programmes through:
		Formation of 150 new groups across the area of five federations to cover approximately 70 per cent of poor households in 232 villages under SHGs, thereby taking the total number of groups formed under the programme to 775 and membership to 9,186 households
		Federations would facilitate credit linkages for groups with banks and also undertake financial intermediation i.e., on-lending for livelihoods and housing loans and regular auditing and quality assessment services to groups
		Special services offered would include: flexi savings products for members, life, health and cattle insurance linkages, financial literacy trainings to members, provision of good quality agri-inputs and cattle feed at the local level to members
		Existing federations now cover 100 per cent operational costs. Intensive focus on leadership and financial literacy trainings during proposed phase would help members to become fully self-managed institutions.
	Addressing development needs of members: Piloting health interventions through existing federations:
		Developing a cadre of 20-25 active women as Swasthya Sakhis
		Delivery of health services for common ailments pertaining to women and on reproductive health issues
		Capacity building of SHG members on identified health issues and facilitating linkages with government schemes such as Janani Suraksha Yojana, Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) and facilities
		Developing a detailed implementation strategy and plan for years 2 and 3.
	Income enhancement of 3,800-4,000 members through addressing value chain gaps in agriculture, dairy and goat-rearing:
		Enhancing milk yields and income of 1,000 members of existing federations and promoting a market-driven approach to goat and buck rearing to generate additional income for 850 members of three new federations through:
			Provision of credit and advisory services through federations for purchase of quality milch animals, goats and bucks
			Field level demonstrations and member-level trainings on improved rearing and management practices to reduce inter-calving period, better and low cost feeding and hygiene
			Provision of critical health care services at doorstep through trained community resource persons i.e., Pashu Sakhis, on a fee basis
			For dairy, facilitate linkages with government and private technical agencies for breed improvement; for goat-rearing — scale up the breed improvement programme in a systematic manner through breeding with quality bucks and pedigree records maintenance
			Reducing risks through external insurance linkages and under mutual insurance programmes.
		Enhancing household level food security and increased market returns through enhancing yields in agriculture (pearl millet: 1,500 members, wheat: 1,950 members, mustard: 600 members, onion and vegetables: 650 members) through:
			Provision of extension support to members for adopting improved agriculture practices
			Timely supply of quality agri-inputs at reasonable prices to members through federations
			Demonstration of water-saving techniques and other improved implements in onion and vegetables.
	Strengthening institutional systems and processes at Ibtada through:
		Technical support for developing performance appraisal systems
		Capacity building and grooming of senior staff of Ibtada for playing a greater role in strategy and programme direction
		Strengthening internal audit systems to manage the large-scale programmes.

During a three-year period, Ibtada would increase its outreach from existing 7,600 to 9,000 members. Major changes expected from the proposed project interventions are:

	Increase in credit availability for 1,700 members of old groups from existing Rs9,000 to Rs14,250 per annum and for Rs7,200 – 7,600 per annum for the remaining 7,300 members
	Increase in annual income of Rs4,300 – Rs4,800 for 1,000 members of two existing federations through 20 per cent increase in milk yield
	Increase in annual income of Rs5,000 per annum for 500 members and of Rs3,500 per annum for 350 members in three new federations from improved goat and buck-rearing
	Through increase in crop yields, an increase in annual income of Rs1,534 for 1,500 farmers from pearl millet, of Rs2,070 for 600 farmers from mustard, of Rs2,350 for 1,950 farmers from wheat and of Rs3,000 for 650 farmers from onion and vegetable cultivation
	6,300 members would be covered under insurance. At the institutional level, the two existing federations would cover 100 per cent of their operational costs during all the three years and the three new federations would be able to cover 75 per cent of their costs by year 3.