We believe that the fundamental challenges in rural India arise from its disorganised nature. Sankul aims to address this through the process of social mobilization, wherein the women of the community are brought under the umbrella of Self Help Groups, Village Organisations and Block Federations. These self-governed institutions allow the women to speak in one voice and create an ambience of trust and acceptance. Within this framework, avenues are created for the women to express their grievances, challenges, as well as innate talents that help in binding the community and create an atmosphere of kinship and camaraderie.

Most households are dependent on agriculture and/or have seasonal income. This leads to financial uncertainty and women are constantly on the lookout for short term loans to tide them over. One of the fundamental challenges for the people in rural India, especially women, is access to finance. Many end up borrowing money at exorbitant interest rates, often through unscrupulous money lenders, pushing them into perennial debt. One of Sankul’s aim is to make available a reliable and transparent line of credit for the women and help them improve their financial planning. The goal is to help them achieve a level of financial stability that enables them to think beyond meeting their basic needs and start investing in opportunities to secure their financial future.

We believe that financial independence is a crucial instrument towards genuine empowerment. Economic shortfalls in rural Indian households must be dealt with by adding a secondary source of income within. Keeping that in mind, Sankul is committed to the creation and promotion of sustainable livelihoods by effectively skilling women in contemporary forms of employment and bringing their products to market.