The origins of micro-credit might be finding in Bangladesh during the ‘70s with the establishment of the Grameen Bank thanks to its founder Muhammad Yunus, Nobel Peace Prize in 2006. By lending small amounts of money to women involved in making bamboo stools in Jobra village, Prof Yunus has shown to the world how micro loans may effectively tackle poverty.

About India, 65% population has not access to formal banking systems, second-highest number of unbanked population in the world - about 135 million households - approximately 675 million people.

In this environment, Micro-credit is a key financial solution to bridge the gap bringing affordable loans to the wide part of population extremely poor, disabled or having disadvantaged occupations, helping people to do not become victim of the vicious cycle of the criminal money lending system.

Since 1994, the main aim of New Life Micro Finance Department is the empowerment of women and the health and educational development of children. Thus, main objective of New Life Micro-Credit Programme is the empowerment of women and of their family.

Organization is operating in Tamil Nadu, one of the Indian states less developed. The women and their relatives, without discrimination grounded on caste, creed and religion are active players in various activities being carried out by New Life. Most of our members are living and working in rural areas, while members from city in most of cases are living in slums.

The most common economical activities proposed to the members are crop production (rice, banana, sugar cane, etc.), animal breeding, handcraft work, vegetable seller, vending stand, tailoring, idly & snacks sales, service provider, stallholder, laundry service. In special cases these small loans are also used for one time payments for education or medical purpose.

One of the key elements of the micro-credit success is within the self-help groups (SHGs) mechanism. SHGs comprise in average around 15 women from the poorest castes and tribes. Members save small amounts of money and help each other in emergency cases. These mechanisms allow a concrete promotion of the community cohesion and this inter-dependency creates environments that encourage borrowers to repay the loans promptly.

Currently, efficiency of the programme is clear shown by statistics since the Micro-credit sector repayment rate is around the 98% rate worldwide. This outstanding success in repayment is attributed to the strong social cohesion prevalent in the developing world where the role in striking poverty of microcredit is significant.

• 24956 are members of Self Help Group assisted to manage their income and have access to credit facilities
• 19956 women have benefited of a loan in micro-credit programme framework
• 12549 women have been trained to take up small enterprises to generate income/additional income for their families
• 10773 children got Education Support
• For 14092 members New Life has provided awareness on social security cover. These members were reached through the village level meetings conducted amongst 1193 SHGs
• 65 member’s relative had free access professional vocational training organized by New Life
• 1715 members receive Health Care Services

• The decision making power of the women has rise
• Women will be respected by the family members and society
• Better life condition due to their economic activity
• Health of the women has been protected and average education level of their children has been raised
• More women will be relieved from the clutches of the illegal money lenders
• It will promote leadership and active participation of women in the politics
• Promotion of female entrepreneurship

• Increase geographical spread of our action
• Promote the establishment of new SHGs in order to increase number of member and loans allocated
• Increase the capacity of the members in SHG concept and credit discipline
• Facilitate the members to promote income generating activities through the differentiation of the economic activities proposed
• Increase average amount of loans provide to our members
• Increase the expertise to create the appropriate business environment to provide to our member concrete opportunities to sell their products both in internal and in the external market

Loan starts from 5000 INR (approx. 80 Euros). Our Social Investor will be free to choose their interest rate, starting from the 0 until the maximum of 6%. The payment can be easily made by a bank transfer from your account to our bank account in your national currency. In order to know the exact amount in your national currency, before to transfer your investment, you may check this website http://www.xe.com/. Additionally, Social Investor is free to choose the person to finance, for this purpose New Life kindly suggests to look through our Investor Book. Download Investor Book at www.fileshaker.com/JDSE8AEZ30QUF7F

Loan will be pay back to the Social Investor after 12 months. Since our organization is responsible for your investment and for our members, New Life guarantees the repayment to Social Investor even in the case loan beneficiary come across difficulties in payment scheme.

Companies or organizations interested in becoming social investor are invited to send via email a their logo that New Life will forward to the loan beneficiary. As additional evidence that the investment has been delivered to the appropriate woman, Social Investor will receive a picture of its investment beneficiary with the picture previously sent by him/her.

It is really easy, follow the procedure listed above! New Life will be glad to help you in each of these steps.

1. Select from the Investor Book the member that you should like to finance. Download Investor Book at www.fileshaker.com/JDSE8AEZ30QUF7F
2. Once that you have select your targets, send an email at newlifemfi.org@gmail.com having as object ‘’SOCIAL INVESTOR’’. In the mail body you should write (a) your name, address, born date and residence place, (b) the name of the members that you wish to finance and (c) the interest rate that you want to gain from your investment (from 0 till 6%). In this way you will "book" your investment. We kindly suggest to select more than one preferences, since it may happen that the member that you wish to help has already been "booked" by another Social Investor.
3. Wait for New Life confirmation. In reasonable time, we will write back confirming availability for the selected member/members. We will send a draft of the contract, and we will be glad to provide any further information about money transfer.
4. Finalize your investment via money transfer to our account and if you wish, send via email any picture that we will deliver to the investment beneficiary.
5. Once that money has been delivered in our bank account, New Life will send the formal contract with all the information about the amount received, the interest rate and the date when your investment will be refunded.