Vision Foundation
Vision Foundation, India, supports rural women, youth, children, elders, and disabled individuals in the rural areas of Madurai District, Tamilnadu. With the Giving Joy grant, the Foundation provided vocational training on vermicomposting to women previously engaged in manual scavenging. These women are oppressed, exploited and live in helplessness and submissiveness. In these circumstances, the grant provided an alternative employment opportunity through production and sale of vermicompost with income necessary for a dignified and healthy.
The first activity funded by the Giving Joy microgrant was the formation of two Self-Help Groups (SHGs) comprising 40 underprivileged Dalit women, many of whom had previously been engaged in manual scavenging. A 15-day vocational training program was then launched for 20 of these women, providing hands-on skills in vermicompost production, packaging, and marketing. Beyond business skills, the training also included critical awareness on hygiene, gender equality, and women’s empowerment.
Once trained, these 20 women became mentors and passed on their knowledge to the remaining 20 women, ensuring that all 40 participants were equipped to start their own ventures and improve their livelihoods.
With the training complete, the remaining $300 of the grant was used to establish a revolving seed fund. This gave the women access to small loans to purchase earthworms, seeds, and tools to set up vermicomposting units. Technical support from the Agricultural Engineering Department of the Government of Tamil Nadu further empowered the women to scale their efforts confidently.
The impact was immediate and growing. Twenty women launched vermicomposting businesses, supplying nutrient-rich compost to local farmers seeking natural alternatives. After repaying their loans in four monthly installments, the seed money was reinvested in the second group of 20 women, making the project self-sustaining.
In total, the grant has directly benefited 40 women and approximately 150 of their family members. In addition, the project has inspired 1,000 more farmers to adopt organic farming methods, leading to a complete community-wide transition to organic agriculture.
This initiative not only helped women gain essential business and leadership skills but also sparked a broader, lasting shift toward sustainable farming—creating economic opportunity, promoting gender equality, and transforming lives.
