DFI: Spreading Awareness to Secure the Future Financially

Digital Empowerment Foundation is notably particular in bridging the aspirational gap by strengthening the underserved communities through financial integration. And the project DFI (Digital Financial Inclusion) is going a step further with its motive to digitally integrate those communities such that they are better able to deal with their finances.

To serve the needs of digitally unaware communities, the DFI program has started on the literacy aspect through the LMS-Chatbot that has been particularly designed to address the mission of the program, furthering the vision of Digital Empowerment Foundation (DEF).

The LMS-Chatbot so far has brought 28,898 beneficiaries (500 Master Trainers, 23,453 Youth and 4,945 Women Entrepreneurs) from 18 States, 75 Districts and 600 Villages, under the ambit of learning process by registering them on it. These beneficiaries have started their exploration towards improved digital and financial understanding which could help them in better managing their finances as well as using digital medium thereby increasing their accessibility which is present at their disposal.

The program is working with women entrepreneurs and youth with the willingness to provide better insights on how they can make use of the services that are readily available to them if they have accessibility of a digital device like a mobile phone.

The LMS (Learning Management System) – Chatbot provides a platform for learning at the comfort level as it allows the beneficiaries to learn at their time availability through their own device.

Nilesh Kumar Kashyap, a DFI youth member from Jharkhand, belongs to a poor family. The success story of him managing his finances has justified the approach to enhance financial inclusion and helps to improve the implementation. With his father running the family with the income from driving an auto, his financial struggles were addressed by approaching him to register with DFI LMS through Telegram. He learnt about investment, insurance, loans, plastic money, online banking and government benefit schemes throughout the course and shared it with his family. He suggested his father invest a small amount through an insurance policy to secure his future as opposed to his previous disregard to government schemes and benefits. His parents are much more aware about the schemes now and have registered for “Awas Yojana” in the last Gram Sabha organized in their village and are looking forward to their new pucca house in the near future. 

Having completed his course he feels his knowledge base and awareness has increased. He finds himself in a better position to deal with challenges of life. He is now using online banking for transactions and preparing to apply for scholarships for further education to get relief to his family members. This is a well compiled and innovative online course, through which youth and women entrepreneurs, who are running small businesses, can take advantage of it by completing this course in a short period of time and applying the learning to improve their lifestyle.