THE CONVOCATION

FOR THE FIRST TIME IN INDIA!

1st Step to take poor/rural women towards industrialization/self employment

These are the women who lived in the shadows of poverty, low self esteem and total lack of self worth. These are the women who feared to step out of their homes, who had zero say in the decision making of their household matters, who were a part of the non-earning and dependent population of out country.
Today, having undergone the expert training of ICECD towards self employment and entrepreneurship, the same women

	Earn Rs.2000 – 50,000 per month
	Their enterprises include plastics, packaging, food processing, garments, information technology, health care….the list can go on
	Their contribution to India Rural Economy is approx Rs.50 lakhs
	Employment creation : 400 people

ICECD organized for the first time in India, a Convocation to felicitate women(mostly housewives or women engaged in non-poroductive work) trained by ICECD, and running their own enterprise successfully.  ICECD's initiate to invite these women entrepreneurs for the convocation is a stepping stone for accomplishing the mission of empowering the women and giving them the status of self-recognition in their society.

This pioneering effort received acclaim and appreciation from one and all, and ICECD has been encouraged to further this mission by reaching out to thousands of more deprived women of India.

Excerpts of the Convocation Message by the Director, Ms Hina Shah as on 11th February 2005.

"To awaken people, it is the woman who must be awakened.  Once she is on the move, the family moves, the village moves and the nation moves".

Today's programme refelcts the success stories of ICECD's trained women entrepreneurs and thus provides indirect answers to many of the questions and doubts proving that women can do it and they have done it.

Smt.Anandiben Patel, Honourable Minister of Education, Higher & Technical Education, Women and Child Development, Youth Culture and Sports, Govt. of Gujarat graced the convocation as the Chief Guest on 11th of February 2005.  Other dignitaries included, Sri.N.V.Vasani (Vice Chancelloe), Nirma University, who delivered the key note address, and Mr.Anil Johri, Director, World Food Programme

Smt. Anandiben Patel expressed her joy and admiration at the “marvelous and revolutionary” work carried out by ICECD and encouraged all the women who received the certificates to set an example for the women of India.

ICECD has played the useful role of facilitator in

	Identifying these women's potential and developing their entrepreneurial and managerial competencies
	Building up their self-confidence and providing needed support at all levels for becoming an entrepreneur
	Facilitating linkages with appropriate product or business opportunity and facilitate the process of setting up and managing of their enterprises

Sometimes when we (ICECD) look back and think how these women were initially, we ourselves are pleasantly surprised, as how they have transformed into assertive, self-confident and dynamic, all rounded entrepreneurs.  One thing, common about them all is that they had a vision/a drive and an enthusiasm that motivated them to reach to the position they are today.  This ability of theirs is the result of their training in Entrepreneurship Development from the International Centre for Entrepreneurship and Career Development (ICECD), Ahmedabad.

success rate of ICECD trained The women for creating Small and Micro Enterprises (SMEs) is approximately 75%.  In almost the last two decades, ICECD has trained 2,00,000 women through its Women Entrepreneurship Development (WED) Programmes.  Out of which 1,78,400 SMEs have grown and expanded.  Investment in these enterprises ranges from Rupees 5000 to Rupees 50,00,000.

We at ICECD are proud to have been associated with their development.  We wish Good Luck to all these women entrepreneurs of ICECD who have graduated from 
"Mere Housewives to Successful Entrepreneurs"