ONGOING PROJECTS:

Rural Credit and Savings Scheme

Objective: To establish saving habits among the rural women’s groups; to create a source of revolving fund for the women’s groups and to create self sustainability of the credit programme.

The project was established with assistance from the International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD).  The project covers six district of eastern Bhutan at present. The scheme provides small loan to establish micro enterprises for the rural women to improve their household income.

NWAB staff explaining about the savings scheme

The scope for expansion is tremendous as there are still hundreds of impoverished rural villages which would benefit greatly benefit from the scheme.  Given the availability of additional funds, the scheme can be further expanded to cater to such areas in the other districts of Bhutan.  The annual increment of the groups under the scheme has been 100 percent.  However, NWAB is under heavy pressure from growing demands for loans.