CENTRE FOR SELF-HELP DEVELOPMENT

Institute of micro-finance and cooperative development.

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CSD Celebrates 30th Anniversary

The Centre for Self-help Development (CSD) established in 1991 with the objectives of creating poverty free self-help society through awareness rising and of the masses and mobilization of the resources on production activities completed 30 year of operation on August 12, 2021. On the occasion the Center organized a discussion program for reshaping the future course of actions in the changing situation of rural pictures of Nepal.

The virtual discussion was attended by the CSD founders, governing board members, and individual members, representatives of the institutional members, resource persons and other well wishers of CSD, who have played some role in the course of CSD development.

Speaking on the occasion, Chairman of the Centre for Self-help Development (CSD) Mr. Shankar Man Shrestha said that the discussion was organized on the date of completion of 30-year journey; this was family gathering for sharing happiness among the family members. "At the initial days of CSD it was a tough task to put it on track. It was a great Challenge to mobilize people as well as the resources. We feel proud today that we could contribute the task of poverty alleviation.” Mr. Shrestha said. He also said that the organization is self-reliant and can move forward in a sustainable manner. “In the past, when we were facing financial problems, we created fund which was made of 5 percent contribution out of their salary. At that time, we saved small amounts as the ants collect and saves ample of food grains to survive in the rainy days. We did the same and now we are in a comfortable situation to sustain. There has been no income since the outbreak of the Corona epidemic. We have been doing most of our programs for free of cost. We have paid the staff and all other expenses from the savings of the past. ” Shrestha said.

Mr. Shrestha also recalled the days CSD initial journey towards Jumla and Kalikot districts a most remote area of the country that time. "It was not easy to run a program in Karnali region at that time. We have to carry rice, sugar, salt, oil and vegetable while travelling to Jumla from Nepalgunj for ourselves. After CSD started the community self-help project, the locals learned to produce vegetables like cauliflower, Cabbage, carrot and green vegetables. The program of the CSD got very good response by the locals that we facilitates to organize group to mobilization saving and credit with the concept of self-help and we also lunched sanitation, hygiene and nutrition and forest conservation program.” Mr. Shrestha reminded that period.

On the occasion, Mr. Shrestha appealed to CSD MFI members to take the initiative to make at least 100 poor families to improve their livelihood and also take an initiative to make 500 children of microfinance member members to set self-employed.

Speaking on the occasion, one of the founding member of the CSD Dr. Sumitra Manandhar Gurung reminded ? CSD have established as a non-government, a non-profit organization. There were thousands of NGOs established in Nepal but only a few have survived, CSD is one of them. “It has been possible because of an effective leadership, clear vision, good governance, discipline, culture, transparency and commitments.” Dr Sumitra said.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Ram Kumar Shrestha, an individual member of the organization, said that the CSD been able to set an example on how to work with communities in remote areas and mobilize their own resources for self-help development.

Similarly, other individual and institutional members present in the program also put up their views on how the Center should move forward in the future.

During the last 30 years, CSD has conducted various projects and programs to uplift the social and economic status of the deprived communities, especially on the poor and backward women. The Self-help Banking Program was started in 1993 (2051 BS) in three VDCs each from Siraha, Saptari and Udayapur district of Eastern Terai as a pilot program of microfinance which was subsequently expanded to other district. In 2009 (2058 BS), it was transformed into the Swabalamban Development Bank (now Swabalamban Laghubitta Bittiya Sansta Ltd.) with more than 35,000 members from 8 districts. About a decade later, CSD transferred the remaining members and the entire assets and liability released to its microfinance operations including its 58,441 members from more than 14 districts to the same organization. CSD is the first institution in Nepal to get license of microfinance operation from the Nepal Rastra Bank  as an NGO.

Thereafter CSD has reset its objectives and strategies to evolve itself as a national institute of microfinance and cooperatives. It conducts trainings, workshops, meetings, seminars and national and international study and exposure visits of microfinance institutions at home and abroad to enhance the knowledge and skills of the officials and the employees of microfinance institutions and cooperatives. Similarly, meetings and conferences have been organized at national and regional level on the issues and problems selected to the microfinance and cooperatives. CSD moving forward with the concept of establishing clean microfinance in the country by eliminating the evils of emerged during the course of operation of the MFIs by way of sensitization among the stakeholders including the target groups.

To this effect, CSD diversified its membership and included MFIs and Cooperatives as its member along with the founder and other members. CSD's new thrust is to develop second generation of microfinance members through business incubation to their children as a strategy to get them self employment at their own home towns and debarry them from going out of the country in search of jobs and enabling them as a job givers than job seekers.

It also has been encourage MFIs and cooperatives to target youths to bring them under their purview to encourage and assist them to initiated micro entrepreneur to get self employment at their home by supporting them with credit and skills endowment.

The Center has recently launched the Zero Poverty, Zero Unemployment and Zero Carbon Emissions Campaign in collaboration with its member organizations to address the world's biggest problems of poverty, unemployment and rising carbon emissions. For this, a 14-point action plan has been prepared to be implemented within the next two years by organizing Nepal Forum on the occasion of the 11th Social Business Day.

Similarly, it has been also announcing and recognizing the best women entrepreneurs from among the members of its member organizations who have been performing/operation best among their fellow entrepreneurs. It also has been awarding “Best Micro-entrepreneurship Development Award” to one of best microfinance organization from among its member organizations which provided financial as well as technical and training support to foster entrepreneurship among their members. The Center is determined to move forward in coordination with the member organizations in the coming days to alleviate poverty and create employment opportunities among the deprived and underprivileged community.

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