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Accessible microfinance and livelihood support for disadvantaged rural women
The Rural Credit Programme (RCP) is the flagship poverty alleviation initiative of Khan Foundation. Established in 1995, the programme provides small, collateral-free loans to disadvantaged rural women, enabling them to engage in income-generating activities and improve household economic security.
Provide collateral-free credit to landless and resource-poor women
Promote sustainable income-generating activities and a savings culture
Strengthen financial literacy and business management skills
Support socio-economic monitoring and progress evaluation
Promote functional literacy, basic accounting, and reproductive health awareness
The programme operates through organized women's groups (Samities), fostering peer accountability, solidarity, and grassroots participation.
Rural families often lack access to formal banking services due to limited assets, low literacy levels, and the absence of collateral. As a result, many depend on informal moneylenders who charge high interest rates, perpetuating cycles of poverty.
Recognizing these structural barriers, Khan Foundation designed RCP as a long-term development intervention focused primarily on distressed rural women and vulnerable households.
To improve the standard of living of rural families—especially women—by enabling their active participation in income-generating activities through accessible financial services and structured support mechanisms.
RCP exclusively serves women from economically vulnerable households who:
Own marginal or no land (0–1.5 acres)
Have limited access to formal financial services
Come from low-income families
Loans are granted exclusively to women to enhance their economic agency and decision-making power within households.
RCP follows a structured and supportive lending approach:
Women without prior investment experience receive pre-loan training to build entrepreneurial skills and confidence.
Beneficiaries are introduced to market systems and basic business planning before investment.
Weekly installment repayments and savings deposits are collected by field organizers, ensuring convenient doorstep financial services.
RCP operates through 4 branches, serving communities across 5 upazilas and 17 unions in two districts.
Charnagardi Branch
Jinardi Union, Palash Upazila
Pakuria Branch
Amdia Union, Narsingdi Sadar Upazila
Atlapur Branch
Bholabo Union, Narayanganj Sadar
Madhabdi Branch
Madhabdi Union, Narsingdi Sadar Upazila
Narsingdi District
Narayanganj District
Samities (Women's Groups)
Direct Members
Total Beneficiaries
Loan Size
Tk. 10,000 – Tk. 300,000
Repayment Period
1 Year
Recovery Rate
96%
Operational Highlights
Weekly savings with 6% annual interest
Insurance protection and emergency fund contribution
Loan waiver facility in case of death of a member or her spouse (as per policy)
Service charge calculated on a reducing balance method and discontinued after one year
Beneficiaries invest in diversified livelihood activities, including:
Poultry & Cattle Rearing
Fish Farming
Vegetable Cultivation & Agriculture
Cow Fattening
Grocery & Clothing Shops
Plant Nurseries
Tailoring
Weaving
This diversification reduces risk, increases income stability, and strengthens household resilience.
The Rural Credit Programme integrates financial inclusion with education, leadership development, health awareness, and social empowerment. By combining credit, savings, literacy, and capacity building, Khan Foundation ensures that economic empowerment is sustainable, inclusive, and transformative.
Through RCP, women do not only become earners—they become leaders, decision-makers, and agents of change within their families and communities.
Through RCP and its complementary initiatives:
Families increase income and improve living standards
Women gain confidence, leadership skills, and financial independence
Children benefit from improved education and nutrition
Communities become more resilient and self-reliant
By focusing on inclusive economic empowerment, Khan Foundation continues to build stronger, sustainable, and self-reliant rural communities across Narsingdi and Narayanganj.