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Evolution

Evolution

Nirdhan is the first replicator of Grameen Banking System of Bangladesh in Nepal. Nirdhan started microfinance operations from the Siktahan Village Development Committee (VDC) of Rupandehi District in Western Nepal near the Indo-Nepal border having characteristics of high population density and high proportion of poor households, and therefore was chosen for the introduction of micro-finance services. The operation started in March 1993 with two staff, one project manager and one credit officer. Nirdhan obtained a limited banking license from the Nepal Rastra Bank in 1994. This enabled Nirdhan to mobilize voluntary savings from its members/clients. Nirdhan continuously expanded its microfinance program and realized that financial services could smoothly be delivered by the central bank regulated institution. In this regard, Nirdhan initiated a process of establishing a formal financial institution with other Commercial Banks of Nepal.In November 1998, Nirdhan Utthan Bank Limited (NUBL) was registered as a microfinance development bank. In April 1999, Nepal Rastra Bank granted NUBL a license to undertake the banking activities under the Development Bank Act, 1996. Nirdhan transferred all its microfinance activities, including overall infrastructure, staff, loan portfolio and most assets to NUBL. Shareholders of NUBL are Nirdhan (the parent organization), Himalayan Bank Limited, Nabil Bank Limited, The Grameen Trust, private individuals and the bank employees. As of December 15, 2018 the bank has been providing micro-finance services to 333141 clients in 77 out of 77 districts of Nepal through 181 branch office. It has changed its previous name to Nirdhan Utthan Laghubitta Bittiya Sanstha Ltd. comply with the directive issued by the Central Bank.

About Nirdhan

Nirdhan is poverty focused non-profit organization registered under the Society Registration Act 1977 of Nepal. It’s tax exempted organization. It was established in 1991 by a group of like-minded people led by late Dr. HariharDev Pant then Deputy Governor of Nepal Rastra Bank. It was an outcome of Dr. Pant’s study visit to Grameen Bank of Bangladesh in 1986. Nirdhan is affiliated with the Social Welfare Council of Nepal.Nirdhan has extensive expertise in livelihood development, employment creation, education, agricultural enterprise development and providing financial security in impoverished communities of Nepal. Nirdhan’s expertise in working with marginalized and vulnerable communities and its commitment to mainstreaming gender in development projects has been at the core of its successful intervention strategies to promote social inclusion. Working in tandem with Nirdhan Utthan Bank Limited (NUBL), Nirdhan has been streamlining service delivery practices to improve outcomes of those services delivered and strengthen the capacity of NUBL clients to uplift their quality of lives as well as loan repayment abilities. Nirdhan continues to focus its operations in community-based project management and local sustainability approaches and fosters an environment for social mobilization created through meticulous awareness, skills development and monitoring programs.

Organization Vision

Nirdhan’s Vision is Poverty – Alleviation Micro Credit Enterprise Development and Capacity Enhancement of the nations through introduction of Education, Health & Vocational trainings.

Organization Mission

Nirdhan’s mission is to improve the lives of the rural people especially women and deprived section of society through microfinance and other relevant support services to enable them to engage in self-employment.

Organization Objective

  • To conduct action research program to test, develop and expand the micro-enterprise models for the deprived section of the community
  • To provide the capacity development services like skill training, technical backstopping, market development for micro-enterprise development in the area of their economic comparative advantage for household economic security which would contribute in health, education, nutrition and welfare of their family/children
  • To help ameliorate the social development of the target group rendering services like technical basic education, health insurance, health care, family welfare, environment protection etc.
  • To undertake action research program which would mobilize and use optimum level of local resources to uplift the economic and social status of the deprived section of the community
  • To provide consultancy services in different aspects of the micro-enterprise and related services