1. Background : The progression of SHG members to take up micro enterprise involves intensive training and hand holding on various aspects including understanding market, potential mapping and ultimately fine tuning skills and entrepreneurship to manage the enterprise. Hence, a separate, specific and focussed skill building programme ‘Micro Enterprise Development Programme (MEDP)’ has been formulated. This involves organizing short duration, location specific programmes on skill upgradation / development for sustainable livelihoods / venturing micro-enterprises by matured SHG members. It is a supplemental effort to upgrade/ develop skill and preliminary business acumen of SHG members in order to enable them to cope up with the issues in relation to run a successful enterprise for income generation/ livelihood.
2. Objectives and coverage : The broad objectives of MEDP is to :
- enhance the capacities of participants through appropriate skill upgradation /
development in existing or new livelihood activities in farm or non-farm
activities
- enrich knowledge of participants on enterprise management, business dynamics and rural markets.
The duration of training programme can vary between 3 to 13 days, depending upon the objective and nature of training. The training may be conducted by agencies that have background and professional competency in the field of microEnterprise Development with an expertise in skill development. A budget has since been revised to Rs.39,000/- for imparting upto 13 days training to 30 participants. Thus the average cost per participant for two weeks will be Rs.1300/- and Rs.100/- per day.
