Micro-Enterprise Development with Innovative Community and Market Linkages

This paper presents a regional strategy for eradicating absolute poverty in two areas of the Alappuzha district in Kerala, India. The paper presents the following salient features of the proposed poverty eradication strategy:

• The prime movers in the sustainable development process are the micro-enterprises that cater to the local demand or process the local products for sale outside the region;
• Women self help groups (SHGs) have set up these micro-enterprises. The strategy involves:
  • Setting up a marketing organization on commercial lines;
  • Meeting the demand generated by micro-enterprises through a systematic expansion of products;
  • Supporting this backward linkage through group's farming organizations, innovative technologies and institutional support systems;
  • Emphasizing water, sanitation and health education;
  • Encouraging backward and forward linkages and inter-sectoral partnerships;
  • Coordinating and implementing the program through partnerships with the government and various organizations.

The paper outlines the objectives of the project, which include:

• Generating employment opportunities for women;
• Developing fisheries and agriculture as sources of income;
• Organizing a marketing company specially for micro-enterprises;
• Achieving total housing and sanitation;
• Improving the health status in the region;
• Empowering women and the poor through effective functioning of their SHGs;
• Providing support to micro-enterprises outside the project area.

The paper concludes by discussing the various aspects of the program, such as:

• Key activities;
• Production and marketing;
• Production infrastructure;
• Technology and finance;
• Monitoring.