Chaitanya Ngo

Chaitanya is a pioneering NGO committed to empowering rural women through community-based microfinance and grassroots leadership since 1993. Founded by Dr. Sudha Kothari and Ms. Surekha Shrotriya, Chaitanya began with 14 self-help groups (SHGs) near Chas village in Pune district. Women were encouraged to save just ₹1 a week. This small initiative sparked confidence and unity, leading to over ₹1 lakh in collective savings within a year — and the beginning of a movement. Over the past 31 years, Chaitanya has supported the creation of SHGs and 40+ federations, reaching over rural women across Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh. These federations are owned and governed entirely by women, ensuring sustainability, representation, and long-term social impact. Chaitanya facilitated the formation of Maharashtra’s first SHG federation — Grameen Mahila Swayamsiddha Sangha (GMSS) — and has since incubated powerful community institutions such as Saarthi and WISE (Women’s Institute for Social Education) to build capacity and nurture local leadership. Our mission is to build capacities of rural poor, especially women and youth, by promoting and strengthening self-reliant institutions that lead the process of development for a better quality of life. We believe that empowerment is multidimensional — and design interventions across four key areas: Sociocultural – Building awareness, education, and health literacy Economic – Enabling financial inclusion, income generation, and entrepreneurship Legal – Promoting access to rights, documentation, and protection Political – Encouraging grassroots governance and women’s leadership Our federations go beyond finance — they address domestic violence, support education, connect women to government schemes, and promote dignity and agency at every level: individual, household, and community. Registered Office: Moti Chowk, Rajgurunagar, Pune Together, let’s turn empowerment into a movement.#ChaitanyaNGO