❝Each time a woman stands up for herself, without knowing it possibly,
without claiming it, she stands up for all women.❞ — Maya Angelou

“When bankers refused to serve her neighbors in rural India, Chetna Gala Sinha did the next best thing: she opened a bank of her own, the first ever for and by women in the country. In this inspiring talk, she shares stories of the women who encouraged her and continue to push her to come up with solutions for those denied traditional financial backing.

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Chetna Gala Sinha also talk about her how her love for animals got her to start a cattle camp, where farmers who are in need of water and fodder for their animals can bring their animals at the camp. But with no water available in the village, she ended up consturcting water reservoirs and water dams. All this with the help of fellow farmers and women in the village, (with the ripple effect of) empowering them.”

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“An economist, farmer, and activist, Chetna Gala Sinha works for social change in some of the poorest and most drought-stricken areas of rural India. She is the founder and the current president of the Mann Deshi Mahila Bank, a micro-enterprise development bank. Mann Deshi’s clients are women from low-income groups, averaging INR 40 (USD 1) per day. The Bank currently has seven branches, over 185,000 clients, and conducts 10,000 transactions on a daily basis. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community.” Learn more at http://ted.com/tedx