Who We Are

Vision

To build a robust partnership ecosystem that enables grassroots women’s networks to access skills training, financial and digital literacy, and technology and marketing platforms.

Mission

To promote inclusive, sustainable community development by empowering women in low income climate threatened communities/regions. Swayam Shikshan Prayog repositions women’s collectives by training them as farmers and entrepreneurs and thereby increasing their economic and social resilience.

Our Approach

To promote inclusive, sustainable community development by empowering women in low income climate threatened communities/regions. Swayam Shikshan Prayog repositions women’s collectives by training them as farmers and entrepreneurs and thereby increasing their economic and social resilience.

Over the last two decades, Swayam Shikshan Prayog has built a movement of grassroots women leaders who see opportunities in challenges.

SSP’s transformative models in key sectors like climate-resilient agriculture, health, and water and sanitation are creating impact in India’s most underserved communities. SSP’s core partnership approach has enabled a wide range of stakeholders that enable grassroots women’s networks to access skills and entrepreneurship, finance, technology and marketing platforms.

SSP focuses on transformational changes by providing technical support and building capacities of women through its trained Sakhi cadres and leaders. Rural women are ambitiously repositioned by SSP teams, as problem solvers, innovators and planners. Be it water, food security, agriculture and livelihoods and access to social protection, women’s collectives or Village Action Groups tackle these issues head on while women leaders take on new public roles that are aligned so they achieve convergence with the Panchayat,government and market systems.

History

Swayam Shikshan Prayog (SSP) was established in 1998, four years after partnering with the Government of Maharashtra on the Latur earthquake reconstruction project(1200 villages), where SSP reshaped a beneficiary program into a successful community women led effort.

SSP made a choice to focus its efforts to build women as change makers in water-scarce, drought-prone regions across seven states of India. Today, majority of its efforts are with women’s farmer collectives in the Marathwada region in Maharashtra.

SSP has reached out to over 6 million people, and empowered over 300,000 women mostly from farming communities to revitalise agriculture and enterprise, and take on the roles of decision makers in their households, communities and local economies. SSP has received several global and national awards, such as the UNDP Equator award for women and agriculture, UNFCCC Lighthouse climate change and Schwab Foundation Social Entrepreneur award, between 2017-2019.

Building Resilience

Problem Solving

Forging Relationships

Eco-System Creation

Key Milestones

  • Scaling up of WCRF model focusing on low-carbon farming practices, Digital upskilling of women entrepreneurs, Scaling up of access to innovative and affordable energy efficient solutions for rural populations.

  • Under the umbrella of National Rural Livelihood Mission, Swayam Shikshan Prayog was selected among 355 applications to partner with the Start Up Village Entrepreneurship Program (SVEP) creating a network of Community Resource Persons (CRPs) to further support 4800 women as entrepreneurs across two blocks in Solapur district from 2016 to 2020.

  • Swayam Shikshan Prayog is implementing the Mahila Kisan Sashaktikaran Pariyojana (MKSP) initiative (2016-ongoing) with the Government of Maharashtra to support over 21,000 women farmers to adopt improved agriculture practices in 450 villages across two districts in Maharashtra through a cadre of Community Resource persons, chosen from Swayam Shikshan Prayog’s cadres of agriculture leaders.

  • wSHARP – Women-led Sanitation, Hygiene and Resilient Practices – community-govt partnership project for 10,000 families in 100 villages supported by UNICEF.

  • Scaling Up women’s Leadership and Value Chains supported by E.U, Affiliation with National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) and the DIC – Digital Corporation of India on skills for entrepreneurship and digital skills.

  • In Odisha, SSP has been working with ORRISSA NGO on Community Resilience Fund for Climate Adaptation project 2018-2021 in 25 villages of Ganjam, Malkangiri & Kandamal districts. Women leaders in climate affected areas are taking initiatives in building community resilience through agriculture & livelihood practices in Odisha. Grassroots leadership has achieved recognition at local level in planning responses to climate change & facilitating resilience fund management in women-led, vulnerability reducing climate resilience initiatives.

  • The Resilience Initiatives in COVID crisis, supported by Huairou Commission, SSP focuses on advancing women’s leadership through community enterprises and awareness building in COVID crisis in 50 villages across Osmanabad, Solapur and Wayanad districts. Empowered women leadership will facilitate Community Resilience Fund (CRF) to scale up community resilience practices and leverage resources from government through dialogues and advocacy.

  • WASH sensitive COVID intensive Gram Panchayat preparedness & community resilience in Multi hazard profile covering three districts of Osmanabad, Solapur & Latur in Maharashtra. Reverse migrants, vulnerable groups in 250 villages with a focus on children, women & aged population, small, marginal farmers, population without ration card, & unskilled labours. Directly benefiting 250,000 population & indirectly benefiting 1 million population supported by UNICEF.

  • Breaking the Chain – A Multi Sector Approach to Address Malnutrition in Maharashtra project supported by GIZ and Welthungerhilfe aims to contribute to improved food and nutrition security through behavior change at household level and improved access to government programs in the 100 Covid-19 affected communities across three blocks in Ahmednagar and Aurangabad districts in Maharashtra.

  • Food and Nutrition Security – A Multi Sector Approach to Increasing resilience of vulnerable communities in Maharashtra project supported by GIZ and Welthungerhilfe will build strong collaboration with the Department of Women and Child Development in Washim, District Administrative Structure and Front-line Workers in Washim district of Maharashtra to implement the project initiatives.

  • In 2021, over 700 women leaders are transforming communities to fully vaccinated status with COVID-19 vaccinations with SSP’s engagement with the Osmanabad district administration

Awards & Recognition

2022
2022
Global Local Adaptation (CGA)’s
“Local Adaptation Award for
Capacity & Knowledge (for the
Women Led Climate Resilient
Farming Model)” at COP27
GCA Award
Women Transforming India Award
2021
NITI Aayog’s “Women Transforming India Award”
Women Transforming India Award
2017
UNDP's "Equator Prize"
UNDP Equator Prize 2017
2016

-UNFCCC's "Momentum for Change Lighthouse"

UNFCCC Momentum Award 2016

2024
UNDP's "Equator Prize"
Recognition from the District Collector, Dharashiv, Jun 24, 2024
2019
Schwab Foundation's "Outstanding Social Entrepreneur of the Year" (WEF)
2018
Schwab Foundation's "Social Entrepreneur of the Year India"