by: Nav Jeevan

Mahila Housing Trust ED makes it to Social Entrepreneur of the Year India Award finals

GOWRI MANICKAVASAGAM
AHMEDABAD, AUG 18

City based Mahila Housing Trust (MHT) Executive Director Bijal Brahmbhatt has made it to the finals of the prestigious 14th edition of the ‘Social Entrepreneur of the Year’ India Award 2023 which was announced recently.

The other three finalists are Dr. Aparna Hegde, ARMMAN, Mumbai; Dhimant Parekh & Ms. Anuradha Parekh, The Better India, Bengaluru and Dr. Shuchin Bajaj, Ujala Cygnus Healthcare, New Delhi.

  • The four finalists were shortlisted after a three-stage selection process
  • The MHT has received eight international awards, including the UN, in recognition of its major activities like housing, urban habitat, climate change resilience, and participatory governance for the urban poor
  • As part of the award, the winner of the SEOY India Award 2023 will join the social innovators community of the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship

The award has been instituted by the World Economic Forum’s sister organisation, Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship, in collaboration with Jubilant Bhartia Foundation.

Speaking with navjeevanexpress.com, Bijal Brahmbhatt, said, “The SEOY India Award 2023 received 120 nominations this year. The finalists were shortlisted after a three-stage selection process. The extensive selection process is based on various parameters such as the organization’s orientation towards addressing social inequalities, exclusion and marginalization; uniqueness of the social model or initiative, and ability to create sustainable systemic level changes. The Schwab Foundation and Jubilant Bhartia Foundation teams also conducted background research, personal and team interactions, impact assessment, expert reviews and reference checks to select four of us.”

Throwing light on the activities of the MHT, Brahmbhatt said, “Since 1994, the trust has been organizing and empowering women from underprivileged communities that lack water, sanitation, electricity, and climate resilience. In Gujarat, so far we have helped 39 lakh women out of which 17 lakh in the last five years. Since most of the women are illiterates and poor, they do not have any document to avail of the govt benefits, including housing and loans to eke out a living of their own. MHT has helped nearly 25,000 women to get a roof over their heads in Ahmedabad alone under the Prime Minister’s affordable housing scheme for all. We also convinced many a women to relocate their settlement for in-situ development of their areas with good sanitation, education and healthcare facilities. The ownership titles are given in the names of women to ensure their security and proof of their empowerment.”

Replying to a query on credit facility to these self-employed women, Brahmbhatt said, “We offer collateral-free loans at interest rate ranging between 11 percent and 15 percent per annum. So far we have given loans worth Rs 25 crore with zero default as they are very honest.”

Asked about the benefits of the award to the winner, she said, “A selection in this final will bring windfall gains to the winning body to step up their socio-welfare activities.”
The MHT has received eight international awards, including the UN, in recognition of its major activities like housing, urban habitat, climate change resilience, and participatory governance for the urban poor.

The winner of the Social Entrepreneur of the Year India Award will be chosen by a distinguished jury comprised industry stalwarts and eminent personalities from different backgrounds. The award will be announced next month in a grand ceremony in New Delhi amongst distinguished global leaders and representatives from various sectors gathered to celebrate the spirit of social entrepreneurship. This year, the award ceremony will be on the side-lines of B20 – Business 20 of G20 in India.

Award and its benefits

As part of the award, the winner of the SEOY India Award 2023 will join the social innovators community of the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship, a leading global platform that has accelerated outstanding models of social innovation for over 25 years. The Winner and Finalists of SEOY India Award 2023 will also have the opportunity to apply for the Hindustan Times Fellowship for the Stanford Seed Transformation programme.