The Dream Building Project is a capacity-building initiative designed to change the economic and social trajectories of women in Self-Help Groups across West Bengal, delivered with the West Bengal State Cooperative Union and the University of Glasgow.
Where most poverty programmes address external constraints such as access to credit, Dream Building targets the internalised ones — low aspiration and low confidence. Two-day workshops use the Rs 100 Savings Game, five-year vision presentations drawn on chart paper and acted out, and a physical Snake and Ladder board that teaches resilience and the cost of poor decisions.
Post-training evaluation showed a 55 percentage point increase in members’ interest in running joint businesses. Three months on, participating groups were taking more loans specifically earmarked for business activity. The WBSCU is now integrating the curriculum into its regular SHG training across district networks.