Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) face numerous challenges, including limited access to essential resources and skills gap that impedes their ability to effectively manage and scale businesses. To address these issues, the Swavlamban project, sponsored by the SBI Foundation, aims to provide support to PwD entrepreneurs in scaling their businesses exponentially and sustainably. Implemented by EDII, the 2-year project, implemented in March 2023, is active across Anand, Kheda, Gandhinagar, Ahmedabad, and Arvalli districts in Gujarat. Under the project, EDII is providing enterprise promotion training to 750 differently-abled people which includes 500 individual entrepreneurs and 250 Member Based Organisations (MBOs) entrepreneurs. Ten MBOs are beingformed for 250 differently-abled entrepreneurs as a cooperative or Self Help Group (SHG). These MBOs will be provided mentoring and support for network-building, increasing market reach and finance.
Income Increase
To date, there has been an average increase in income among PwDs entrepreneurs after attending scale-up training programs.
Market Reach
Entrepreneurs have improved market reach as a result of the project’s training, attracting more customers and expanding their operations.
Member Based Organisations
Formation of Member Based Organizations (MBOs) is fostering collaboration and shared learning among PwD entrepreneurs.
Continuous Support
Continuous mentorship and support help entrepreneurs build strong networks and access valuable resources for growth.