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Self help groups in rural Development Trust ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 1. Introduction: The empowerment of women is one of the central issues in the process of development of countries all over the world. Tamil Nadu has a glorious tradition of recognizing the importance of empowering women over several centuries now. The Government of India has made Empowerment of Women as one of the principal objectives of the Ninth Five Year Plan (1997-2002) and also declared 2001 as the year of ‘Women's Empowerment’. Our Constitution has conferred and guaranteed equality before law, universal adult franchise and equal opportunities for men and women as fundamental rights. The imperative of gender partnership in matters of development has been recognized. In order to give a fillip to empowerment of women and appropriate institutional mechanisms and interventions have been consciously built into the development design. Rural development trust (RDT) has been the pioneer to commence self help groups in Kanchipuram district. RDT has formed self help groups in Thiruporur, Thirukazhukuntram, St.Thomas Mount, Kattankulathur and Uthiramerur unions in Kanchipuram District. SHG is group of rural poor who have volunteered to organize themselves into a group for eradication of poverty of the members and to establish financial freedom in families. They agree to save regularly and convert their savings into a Common Fund known as the Group corpus. The members of the group agree to use this common fund and such other funds that they may receive as a group through a common management. 2. Different groups of women members in Self Help groups: RDT has organized the socially back ward communities like Irula tribes, gypsies, quarry women workers, widows, differently abled women, migrant women, women construction workers, agricultural women workers, vendors, landless women, destitute, women who were affected, young widows, women who were separated, women who were abandoned due to the alcoholic husbands. All these vulnerable women were organized in to groups. There are 136 self help groups altogether. The details are given below;
3. Guidelines pursued in formation of groups: The guidelines of every self help group are same in nature. Generally a self-help group may consist of 10 to 20 persons. RDT has ensured that at least 12 persons are the minimum to form the group in all the concern villages. Generally all members of the group should belong to families below the poverty line. The group shall not consist of more than one member from the same family. A person should not be a member of more than one group. All the families actively participate in the management and decision making. The group should devise a code of conduct (Group management norms) to bind itself. Regular weekly meetings were conducted to see the ongoing development. Functioning in a democratic manner, allowing free exchange of views, participation by the members in the decision making process were the special characteristics of every group. . The group was able to draw up an agenda for each meeting and take up discussions as per the agenda. The group maintained simple basic records such as Minutes book, Attendance register, Loan ledger, General ledger, Cash book, Bank passbook, resolution register, visitors’ register, correspondence file and individual passbooks. The sample proforma for maintenance of above records by the group is in the Annexure II for guidance. These could be used with necessary changes/ modifications wherever required. Office bearers are selected and they will work with the groups for a year. Meetings were conducted from 3.00 P.M to 7.00 P.M. All the members save only Rs.100 in the nationalized banks. Their savings are cumulated and internal loan was also given to the members. Now each group has saved Rs.15000 to Rs.20,000 in their savings. 4. Social issues taken up and participation in local Panchayat: Women have many social issues in the male chauvinistic society. Once they were not coming out of the houses now they participate in trainings and cultural events. Many women take part in local Panchayat and hold positions as ward members. Women members in self help groups get involved in various community development activities in their living villages. These women run Anganwadi center, maintenance of Anganwadi, getting resources from the local bodies and government, guiding women to get welfare schemes, assisting the schools to get instruments, village infrastructure, and participation in the Panchayat works, enrolling the drop outs and Prohibition to alcohol issue. Women members cooperate with government departments and to protect water bodies. Family issues are taken up and counseling is being given to both husbands and wives. Thus family development was greater due to the involvement of groups. It is proud to learn that 30 women members have been selected as ward members during the Panchayat elections held recently in 2011. I am Mrs.Lalitha, 45 years old. I have a boy and a girl. I am residing in Kattur. I have only completed 7th standard. I was not coming out of the house. I joined in a self help group 11 years ago. I was hesitating to join the group. Later on due to the pressure I joined the group in my village. I attended the trainings and developed my skills. Now I have been selected as the ward member in the Panchayat elections held in 2011. The cooperation of my husband is also highly appreciative. I am grateful to RDT for providing leadership training and life coping mechanisms. 5. Income generation Activities: Women groups run by RDT have received loans and made many members to start income generation activities. Women have developed dairy farm, goat rearing, rice shop, fish vending, farming, provision shop, textiles, Tiffin stall, vermin compost preparation and vegetable selling. All these individual income generation activities have transmuted the life of women members and transformation was witnessed. Totally all the groups have received Rs.80 lakh for income generation programs through banks and government subsidies. Rashtriya Mahila Kosh, New Delhi has also given loans. Nabard bank has also distributed loans. Some of the members have joined together and make collective income generation programs. Brick kilns, selling vessels are also done by women groups. As they do this small business, they also raise their income level. Many women say that after joining the group they have sent their children to good schools. The women members proudly say that there is no loss in joining the groups. The gains are many and documented and proclaimed personally without any differences in all the groups. 6. Involvement in Health areas: Women group members are greatly involved in many health programs. Sanitation activities were taken up and toilet construction was done to protect women from communicable diseases. Medical assistance was given during pregnancy. Administration of Vaccination was being done with the support of women group members. Both Ante natal care and post natal care has been made compulsory and health workers are advised to monitor the women in reproductive ages. 7. Outcomes of the program:
8. Financial and manpower support: Local nationalized banks have hope in all the self help groups run by RDT and loans were availed to many groups. Loans were availed for Economic activity. Social work students from Madras Christian College and Loyola College have contributed for the development of groups. Their concurrent field visits to the villages have enhanced groups and motivated to get involved in income generation activities. Block development office at Thiruporur has contributed a lot for the growth of groups. The team members of RDT have shouldered responsibility and made changes in many of the women groups. Unorganized workers Federation, Chennai has also supported in delivering the services through manpower. 9. Conclusion: RDT is pleased to say that women in Kanchipuram district have been empowered through the initiation self help groups. Women have felt the need of the participation and taken up the social issues in villages. It is good news that self help groups have made tremendous changes in women development. Financial burden from loans have been unloaded. The future of women has been motivated to withstand with the income that they receive. |
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Women have sent their children for higher education