Sa-Dhan is a self-regulatory organization with mission to promote and foster inclusive impact finance institutions to support low-income households, particularly women, to achieve stable livelihoods, improve their social and financial well-being and quality of life and fulfill Sustainable Development Goals. To address this gender disparity and empower women in entrepreneurship, Sa-Dhan implemented the WE-LEAD project, funded by SIDBI. The project aimed to impact 5,200 direct beneficiaries (involving 35% from the SC/ST community), and 5,000 indirect beneficiaries in Gujarat and Tamil Nadu.

Upon completion of the comprehensive Entrepreneur Development Programme (EDP) training program, the selected participants/ beneficiaries will have the capability to:

• Recognize the significance of venturing into self-employment and be equipped with the confidence and essential personal skills necessary for success.
• Ability to identify business opportunities within their chosen sector/sub-sector
• Participants will learn to strategically plan for effective marketing and selling of products/services
• Provide knowledge and tools needed to initiate or scale up small business enterprises by engaging with various stakeholders for sustainable growth
• Equip participants with the skills, psyche, ensuring operational success and long-term viability.

To achieve these, Sa-Dhan onboarded Samavit to conduct baseline study, develop training modules, and conduct training of trainers (ToT) for both the states.

To achieve the project objectives, Samavit employed a comprehensive mixed-methods evaluation approach that integrated both quantitative and qualitative data collection techniques. This approach began with extensive desk research on the Entrepreneurship Development Programme (EDP), followed by the development of baseline survey tools and selection criteria specifically for identifying women beneficiaries. After that, Samavit prepared a detailed baseline report that highlighted key insights and set the foundation for the program’s implementation.

In support of the training component, Samavit designed customized training modules in English, Gujarati, and Tamil to serve aspiring and existing women entrepreneurs. These materials were customized to address their needs and to facilitate the smooth dissemination of training content. To ensure that these materials were effectively utilized in the field, Samavit conducted comprehensive Training of Trainers (ToT) sessions for field coordinators, district coordinators, and other project team members across both states, equipping them with the skills necessary to deliver impactful training to program participants.

Samavit used the research findings to prepare baseline survey tool, selection criteria, a detailed baseline report outlining the business practices, resource awareness, credit linkage status, women empowerment, and training needs of women beneficiaries. Based on the baseline survey findings, Samavit prepared a customized training modules for existing and aspiring women entrepreneurs in vernacular languages. Additionally, Samavit developed a comprehensive Training of Trainers (ToT) report.