Unitus, India 2010
DFW Funding: $24,283
UNITUS, Innovative Solutions to Global Poverty Web Site: unitus.com
The Mission: to fight global poverty by accelerating the growth of microfinance—small loans and other financial tools for self-empowerment—where it is needed most. Samhita’s mission is to develop a network of sustainable and scalable community initiatives that deliver positive economic, health, educational and environmental impact to disadvantaged communities.
The Project: Dining for Women (DFW) supports Unitus' efforts with Samhita Microfinance, which works in the province of Madhya Pradesh, India. Unitus is not your traditional nonprofit. Beyond on-the-ground microfinance expertise, Unitus brings executive experience from banking, technology, and corporate consulting backgrounds to employ market-driven solutions to age-old problems of financial exclusion and poverty. Unitus works with microfinance partners and other emerging enterprises in India, Southeast Asia, East Africa, South America, and Mexico
Why We Love this Program: Madhya Pradesh is one of the poorest, most remote, and hardest to serve states in India with over 37% of the population living below the poverty line. Since partnering with Unitus in February 2008, Samhita has greatly increased their services; currently, they reach over 20,000 clients through 21 branches (as of 2/28/09).
