When the women of Kasakendu village in Orissa's notorious Kalahandi district decided to increase their livelihood, they began by forming a self help group. The Maa Manikeshwari was set up in 2005 with 20 women. In April 2006, they took a loan of Rs. 64,000 from the KAS Foundation, a Microfinance Institution. The Centre for Microfinance (CMF) had contributed its skills in research and strategy building while working closely with KAS foundation on the programme.

Once the initial group was formed the women discovered that they now had the confidence and the means to approach the village panchayat with an unusual request. They were interested in taking the village pond on lease for a period of 5 years. The fishery extension officer of the region gave them technical inputs and by 2007, the women were able to sell fish worth Rs 75,000 and were also able to repay their loan to the KAS foundation without any defaults.

They are now looking to utilize the pond embankment for banana cultivation. Despite venturing into fish cultivation for the first time, the women of Kasakendu village were able to succeed, thanks to their own efforts and the skills as well as livelihood enterprise credit received from the CMF and the KAS Foundation respectively. Encouraged by their success, the SHG members have now decided to take up individual income generating activity as well.