Cover Story 4: Anjali Chandra

The rural poor women are incapacitated due to various reasons, such as; most of them are socially backward, illiterate, with low motivation and poor economic base. Individually, a poor is not only weak in socio-economic term but also lacks access to the knowledge and information, which are the most important components of today’s development process. However, in a group, they are empowered to overcome many of these weaknesses. Written by Anjali Chandra. Women Empowerment through Self Help Group: An experience of DIVYAYAN KVK  Self-help groups (SHGs) play today a major role in poverty alleviation in rural India. A growing number of poor people (mostly women) in various parts of India are members of SHGs and actively engage in savings (in actual term Thrift) and credit (S/C), as well as in other activities (income generation, natural resources management, literacy, child care and nutrition, etc.) The SHG system has proven to be very relevant and effective in offering women the possibility to break gradually away from exploitation and isolation. Almost all major donor agencies support SHGs in India in one way or another, and many success stories are available, describing how membership in a SHG changed the life of a particular individual or group for the better. Many NGOs are promoting the SHG mechanism and linking it to various other development interventions. Whereas there is ample evidence that the SHG approach is a very effective, efficient and relevant tool for organizing and empowering the poor, do arise with design, development and introduction of programmes to promote income generating activities (IGAs) that will generate sufficient, sustainable and regular income. Ramakrishna Mission Ashrama, Divyayan Krishi Vigyan Kendra with its concept of total approach for all round development of the farming community, has been engaged not only in disseminating technology but also in other socio cultural developmental aspects like education, health and self reliance through village level organization and self help groups. Since 1989 Ramakrishna Mission Ashram has been engaged in forming women self help groups in our adopted villages in the district of Ranchi. The essence of formation of these groups is that it lays the foundation of self-reliance through building up an institution, which has the capacity to continue to development and empowerment processes. It provides all of it’s members with an opportunity to exercise control and participate in decision making. It is done for bringing empowerment to the poor having low income and low saving capacity and also who depend on moneylenders or private sources for meeting their emergent needs. Previously they have to pay very high rate of interest and they remain in debt forever.         Having no money to start their own source of income, they are to either be slave, getting less income or remain hungry and poor. For this type of women particularly destitute and poor tribal women self help group formation has become a boon. Self Help Groups of women empower them to become self sufficient and creates high motivation to work together for all round development. Before putting our insight into impact of SHGS we must know about details of functioning of shgs.             Concept of SHGs SHG is a small group of  poor men/women, who have voluntarily come forward to form a group for improvement of the social and economic status of the members. It is normally informal, but has social identification and recognition. The concept underlines the principle of Thrift, Credit and Self Help. Members of SHG agree to save regularly and contribute to a common fund. The members agree to use this common fund and such other funds (like grants and loans from banks), which they may receive as a group, to give small loans to needy members as per the decision of the group. Needs for SHG formation The rural poor women are incapacitated due to various reasons, such as; most of them are socially backward, illiterate, with low motivation and poor economic base. Individually, a poor is not only weak in socio-economic term but also lacks access to the knowledge and information, which are the most important components of today’s development process. However, in a group, they are empowered to overcome many of these weaknesses. Hence, there were needs for SHGs formation, which in specific terms are as under:- ·         To mobilize the resources of the individual members for their collective economic development. ·         To uplift the living conditions of the poor. ·         To create a habit of savings. ·         Utilization of local resources. ·          To mobilize individual skills for group’s interest. ·          To create awareness about rights. ·         To assist the members financially at the time of need. ·         Entrepreneurship development. ·         To identify problems, analyzing and finding solutions in the group. ·         To act as a media for socio-economic development of the village. ·         To develop linkages with institutions of NGOs. ·         To organize training for skill development. ·         To help in recovery of loans. ·         To gain mutual understanding, develop trust and self-confidence. ·          To build up teamwork. ·         To develop leadership qualities. ·         To use as an effective delivery channel for rural credit. THE SHGS WERE FORMED WITH FOLLOWING STRUCTURE Size of SHG The ideal size of an SHG was having 10 to 20 members. (Advantage: In a bigger group, members cannot actively participate. Also, legally it is required that an informal group should not be of more than 20 people). The groups were not registered.           Membership Rules From one family, only one person can become a member of an SHG. (More families can join SHGs this way). Women’s groups of weaker section were generally found to perform better. (They are better in savings and they usually ensure better end use of loans). Members should be homogenous i.e. should have the same social and financial background. (Advantage: This makes it easier for the members to interact freely with each other, if members are both from rich as well as poor class, the poor may hardly get an opportunity to express themselves).  Members should be between the age group of 21-60 years. Members should be rural poor (By poor one should be guided by the living conditions, as given herein before; and this has no relation to poverty line. women living above poverty line (APL) can also form SHG like BPL.            Functions of SHGs To develop a group into a well-managed Self Help Group, the members should evolve rules and regulations, which are to be adopted, after discussions with all the members for compliance in full. Some illustrative guidelines for the formulation of such rules and regulations were given as under:-            Meeting The groups were suggested to meet regularly, ideally, the meetings should be weekly or at least monthly. (Advantage: They become closer if they meet regularly. This helped them to understand each other’s difficulties better). Compulsory Attendance: Full attendance in all the group meetings made  it easy for the SHG to stabilize and start working to the satisfaction of all. Membership register, minutes register etc. were to be kept up to date by the group by making the entries regularly. (Advantage: This helps you to know about the SHG easily. It also helps to build trust among the SHG members). Fixed day for meetings: The group should have a fixed day or date for the meetings.(Advantage: This will help the members to plan their routine works in advance). Commonplace: The group should fix a common place to conduct the meetings.          Rules for Savings Savings should be deposited by all the members in the meeting itself. (Advantage: This will help to inculcate the habit of regular savings in the members. By depositing savings in the meetings before all members will avoid the element of distrust amongst members). No interest will be paid to the members for their money with the group. The members will not be encouraged to adjust their savings amount against their loan due to the Group. Only at extreme circumstances the Group shall consider to adjust.         Group members were suggested to maintain accounts as following- Simple and clear books for all transactions to be maintained. If no member is able to maintain the books, the SHG may take outside help. All registers and account books should be written during the course of the meeting. (Advantage: This creates confidence in the minds of members who are unable to read and write).              Books to be maintained by an SHG  Minutes Book: The proceedings of meetings, the rules of the group, names of the members etc. are recorded in this book. Savings and Loan Register: Shows the savings of members and that of the group as a whole separately. Details of individual loans, repayments, Weekly/Fortnightly/Monthly Register: Summary of receipts and Payments, updated in every meeting. Members Pass books: Individual pass book in which individual’s savings and loan balance outstanding is regularly entered. MAJOR FUNCTIONS OF AN SHG       1   Savings and Thrift: All SHG members regularly save a small amount. The amount may be small, but savings have to be regular and continuous habit with all the members. “Savings first-Credit later” should be the motto of every SHG member for helping the needy women. SHG members take a step towards self-dependence when they start small savings. They learn financial discipline through savings and internal lending. (Advantage: This is useful when they use bank loans). The SHG should use the savings amount for giving loans members. The purpose, amounts, rate of interest, schedule of repayment etc. are to be decided by the group itself. ·         Proper accounts to be kept by the SHG. 2 Problems solving: In every meeting, the SHGs were encouraged to discuss and try to find solutions to the problems faced by the members of the group. Individually, the poor people were weak and lack resources to solve their problems. When the group tries to help its members, it become easier for them to face the difficulties and come up with solutions. Ramakrishna mission Ashrama Morabadi had formed 399 women self groups till now under different projects, among which 383 SHGS were of women exclusively, thus about 6000 women are being benefited under SHG programme. Once they were linked with group, They were being trained for SHG management. The established SHGS were again trained in  different skills which resulted into development of some income generating activities  Most of them preferred to take up activities related to Agriculture and allied field like goatery, duckery, lac production, post-harvest technology  etc. women SHG members were  also linked with banks and other related institutes for financial support. As a result presently most of the SHGS formed are engaged in some income generating activities. The no. of women SHGs engaged in different activities are as follows : Income generating activities                         No. of groups Inscense stick making                                                             3 Fisheries                                                                                  12 Goatery                                                                                   70                                                 Mushroom production                                                           04 Poultry and Duckery                                                               50 Vermi-composting                                                                  06 Soap making                                                                           01 Lac cultivation                                                                        25 Piggery                                                                                    13 Beekeeping                                                                             02 Weaving work                                                                         02 Crop production                                                                      16 Papad and chips making                                                         02 Puffed rice making                                                                 10                                                 Vegetable  farming                                                                   20      For better performance of the self help groups they were linked with banks, blocks and other government organizations like Jharcraft,Sericulture institute,IINRG,etc. Two groups of villages named Obar and kuchu situated in Angara block were linked with Jharcraft which facilitates the weaving work being done by group members. It supplies raw materials to the group, provides training to the members to create new designs and also sells the products manufactured by them. SHG members get payment after the sale of the product. In this way Divyayan KVK is conducting it's programmes for women empowerment and entrepreneurship development among women farmers, which has a remarkable impact on life style of women.

Now, the women during last few years have shown such type of activities which have left progress mark and have developed courage to come out of the clutches of exploiters and become bold enough to speak and place their demand before the concerned development officers. Now they are conscious of their strength and self dignity. While interacting with one of the group members they said in their own words, “Before joining the groups we were used to feel very lonely and distressed but now we are many and united with each other for emotional and financial support.

We can rely upon the group in times of crisis which steps in like a family to help each other out.” One of the members said,My husband used to beat me after consuming Rice beer. Once I told him that I would disclose this thing before our group, since then he has given up the habit of consuming Rice Beer. Now he behaves well with me. We have gained self dignity in family as well as in society.” Women of self-help groups are now becoming self reliant by involving themselves into many types of income generating activities .They are now making proper use of the available natural resources for maximum profit.

Under health care activities Ramakrishna Mission Ashrama, has trained 38 women working as para medical staff or health workers at Block level covering whole Angara Block- (21 subcentres). They are creating awareness on health issues in women and also solving their health problems. They make slides for blood and sputum and get it tested. They identify diseases and provide medicines in consultation with Ramakrishna Mission doctor or PHC doctor. As a result tribal women are becoming self conscious and aware of their health. Hygiene and sanitation status of villages are also improving, as a result the standard of living of tribal women is increasing day by day. They have been made aware of the health of their children, now all children of the villages are being vaccinated.Women of self help groups are working for making their villages neat and clean. They are working jointly for cleaning of dug-wells and other activities related to hygiene.  

In the field of education, tribal women of this area have achieved a milestone, now all girls of villages are studying in schools similar to boys.

As a result of increasing awareness adult women are also learning to read and write and Ramakrishna Mission Ashrama is helping them by running (Satat shiksha) Continued Education programmes, open schools and bridge schools in villages. Now tribal women, instead of giving their thumb print impression, signing at the places, when and where required. Besides, writing their own name they have learned to read and write something else.

SPECIAL PROGRAMMES FOR WIDOWS AND DESTITUTE WOMEN

On the occasion of 150^th birth anniversary of swami vivekanand two special  programmes for women specially namely “sardapalli vikas prakalp” and”women Empowerment” were conducted for welfare of  widows and destitute women. SHGS were formed by organizing them into small groups. They were provided with seed money for SHG,critical inputs for entrepreneurship development,toiletries, medicines etc for health care,nutritive food etc.They were also trained in different skills for entrepreneurship development.As a result self reliance was observed among them.

Women empowerment and gender equity establishment is one of prime concerns Ramakrishna Mission Ashrama, Divyayan Krishi Vigyan Kendra. In this endeavour Ramakrishna Mission Ashrama, Divyayan Krishi Vigyan Kendra has been engaged in multidimensional activities including different types of motivational and other training programmes for rural women. 

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Anjali Chandra. SMS, Divyayan KVK, Ramakrisna Mission Ashrama, Ranchi

E mail: anjalirkm@gmail.com

Photo: DKVK