Interview with Chetna Sinha - Founder of Mann Deshi Bank (Part 3)

Chetna Gala Sinha is an Indian social activist working on behalf of women in drought-prone areas of rural India. In 1997 she founded  Mann Deshi , India's first bank by and for women. In addition, she was co-chair of the World Economic Forum in Davos in 2018. Nils Jonas Hein spoke to her about how entrepreneurship can contribute to strengthening women's rights:

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You already mentioned the radio and I saw that Mann Deshi runs a sports team, the Mann Deshi Champions. You run so many projects. How do you manage to keep track of that?

Yes you are right. And a lot of people would also say, "Why aren't you more focused?" That's another criticism Mann Deshi hears a lot.

But look, in the beginning we didn't work with the farmers, we didn't manage a sports team, we didn't deal with water supply problems, but in 2012 we had a very bad drought in our area. There was no water anywhere.

Many women came to me and said, "Even if we have money, we cannot walk on water because there is none. And if we eventually have to leave this area, who do you want to work with? Who do you want to run the bank with?”

That was a turning point. From then on we decided that we would help with them and set up a cattle camp where the farmers could bring their animals to get water. Later we began to build a "bank" for water - a place to conserve water. And I am very proud that we managed to fight the drought.

While we were working on these projects, a young girl came to the bank and said, “You know, I work two months during the summer holidays and I don't get paid. But after seventh grade, I want to go to high school, which is far away. There is no bus service and my parents will not let me go there if there is no bus service. Why don't I just work for the bank for two months and you give me a bike for it?"

So Mann Deshi started a program to provide the girls with bicycles. In the beginning we distributed a kind of bike loan, but later a lot of donors came along who were willing to give the girls a subsidy.

When our girls got the bikes, they also got very good at sports. So we decided to start the sports team. In the beginning it was very small. We bought land and laid a 400m track for our girls. They were so good at it that they were selected by the county athletic board. And now some of them represent the national hockey team.

Today we have more than 4,000 children who are active at the district, state and national levels, as well as a few internationally. But I wouldn't say that's the goal. We do this so that children in rural India, children of shepherds, children of nomads have a chance to play.

And now it's so big. We have an athletics field, field hockey, basketball, a swimming pool... all of that! But the most important thing about the whole sports program is that it has enabled the girls to avoid getting into child marriages as they are so good at sports that their parents are willing to postpone their marriage.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/FLt81c7I3VM

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You founded the bank over 20 years ago and so much has happened since then. Do you think it changed men's attitudes towards women too?

Yes, it is very important that men change their attitude. But the question is how to bring about this change?

Part of it is that women have said they want to control their lives and they are doing it. But the most important thing is that men are proud of their wives, proud of their daughters, proud of their families. How do you get that?

So when we see dads investing in their girls' education, we celebrate it with a big event so other men think it's something to be proud of too.

Or when the husband of Vanita Pise, the woman who runs the agricultural production company, shared the property papers with her, we gave him an award for it. He then becomes a role model for other men. As a result, other men will also think that they have to share their power with women so that the wealth arrives in their household.

You have to bring the whole thing into the community as a pride. This is how we managed to be successful. Gender relations change when equality goes hand in hand with appreciation.

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What advice would you give to aspiring female entrepreneurs?

Let me tell the story of Kerabai - radio jockey at Mann Deshi. When she first got into radio, she said she wanted to do her own show. But the manager replied, "You can't read and you can't write, Kerabai. How do you want to do your show?” But she replied, “Yes, I can neither read nor write. I create the poems in my head and then I recite them.”

And sang her very wise poems on the radio and became very famous. So I ask Kerabai: “Where did you learn to sing like that? Where did you learn to create these poems?” And do you know what she said to me? "When I got married at 13 and got pregnant at 14, I was hungry all the time. I didn't have enough food in the house. To forget the hunger I started singing. That's how I learned it."

Now, whenever I'm frustrated with something, I remember Kerabai and how, to forget the hunger, she started singing. I mean even in this difficult situation she was able to let the art into her soul and started sharing her poetry. Then I realize that this is the courage everyone should have.

And to the young entrepreneurs, I would say that I learned from Kerabai – and she says so in one of her poems – that my courage is my capital. I have a feeling that there may be many more women like Kerabai in the world and their courage can be your capital as well.