CENTRE FOR SELF-HELP DEVELOPMENT

Institute of micro-finance and cooperative development.

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CSD in its 30th Year

The Centre for Self-help Development (CSD) has entered in 30th year. It was established on August 13, 1991 (Shrawan 28, 2048) with the vision of alleviating poverty by raising the living standards of the deprived communities in rural areas through financial access.


During the last 29 years, the Centre has conducted various projects and programs to transform the social and economic condition of the backward communities and the deprived section, especially the poor women. CSD started its work by operating a Community Self-help Development Project (CSDP) in Jumla district of Karnali, a remote region of Nepal on January 1, 1992. It had started Self-help Banking Program (SBP) in 1993 in the villages of Siraha, Saptari and Udayapur in the Eastern Terai. After the success of this program, which was started as a pilot program with the aim of providing financial access to poor and needy women, the SBP program has been extended to other districts as well. In 2001 CSD transferred SBP program into Swabalamban Bikas Bank (now Swabalamban Laghubitta Bittiya Sanstha Ltd.) with more than 35,000 members and 29,000 loanee members of 8 districts. About a decade later, CSD handed over the remaining assets and liabilities, i.e., commodity, cash and human resources including 58,441 members of 14 more districts to Swabalamban Laghubitta Bittiya Sanstha Ltd. CSD is the first NGO to get license from the Nepal Rastra Bank to run microfinance program among the poor.  
After handing over the microfinance program to Swabalamban Laghubitta Bittiya Sanstha Ltd., the centre changed its framework of operations and developed itself as an institute of microfinance and cooperatives and started conducting trainings, discussions, meetings, seminars and study visits of microfinance institutions inside the country and abroad to enhance the skills and abilities of the officials and employees of microfinance institutions and cooperatives. Similarly, meetings and conferences have been organized at national and regional level to develop the awareness, capacity and financial literacy of the microfinance beneficiaries. CSD, which has been moving forward with the slogan 'Clean Microfinance Our Campaign', has been expanding its network by providing membership to the organizations which operate microfinance programs. At present, the centre has 12 individual members including the founding members and 43 member organizations across the country.
In order to make its program more participatory, CSD has also launched a new campaign for providing self-employment opportunities and finance to the children of microfinance beneficiaries and youths returning from abroad through its' member organizations. It has also been providing ‘Entrepreneurship Development Award’ to the MFIs and their member who have made outstanding contributions in the development of micro-entrepreneurship and enterprises. CSD is determined to move forward in coordination with the member organizations and other development agencies in the coming days to alleviate poverty and create employment opportunities for all in the country.

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