Posts Tagged ‘Self-Help Groups’
IDEX Executive Director, Rajasvini Bhansali, is currently traveling in India on evaluation field visits with IDEX partners, and potential catalyst grantees.
Women at a Self-Help-Group Meeting
In the last few days, I have had the chance to sit with representatives of 39 extraordinary women’s self-help groups over the course of four meetings. Comprised entirely of Udaipur district’s most marginalized tribal people, the groups proudly speak about their achievements. One group leader Himmati devi (appropriately named as “Himmati” which means “one with courage”) spoke not of the immense savings rate of her group, but rather about the pride she feels every time she walks to the bank in the city.
“People used to ridicule me for being so bold and thinking that a woman could go to a bank alone but slowly, they began to see that I can manage my own resources,” Himmati told us.
“My group is prosperous because through our own funds, we’ve been able to buy buffaloes, cows, goats and generate income through dairy goods. But most of all, I now walk with confidence because I know I can manage my own affairs and that feels very good. I want my daughter to learn this.”
I also had the opportunity to visit both private and community-managed common pastures. Seeing how both are equally well kept and managed was a testament to this rural community’s self-determination. At one common pasture in Chhapariya in the Aravali hills there was considerable excitement when the local village leader explained that despite a drought in the region, more than 2,000 cows, buffaloes, goats and sheep have access to plentiful fodder.
The natural regeneration of pastures is a slow process and has previously failed when government schemes have tried to drive it without community buy-in. Unless the neighboring households decide to allow the trees and plants in the pasturelands to grow–particularly in non-arable lands–people’s struggle to find fuel and fodder can deplete the forests. Here in Chhapariya, the search for fuel and fodder co-exists with community-led greening of the commons. Just down the hill in fact, there’s an anicut (dam) built to conserve rainwater and recharge fast depleting groundwater. As a result, the wells in the area are full and irrigation no longer poses as large a problem as it had in the past.
IDEX partner Sahyog Sansthan works to improve the livelihoods of resource poor households in rural Udaipur in Bhinder, Dharyawat and Lasadiya districts through watershed-based natural resource management. The concept of watershed management includes community-led initiatives to conserve rainwater and soil, promote diversified and integrated farming systems, manage common property resources such as pastures and wells, and strengthen livelihood solutions such as self-help groups. Sahyog strongly believes that the rural poor must be involved in conserving, managing and strengthening their natural resources.
IDEX Executive Director, Rajasvini Bhansali, is currently traveling in India on evaluation field visits with IDEX partners, and potential catalyst grantees.
Gravis SHG Member with her Daughter
Rahul Mishra, GRAVIS Program Coordinator, shared his journey of working in rural development. He explained that what he learned theoretically in a rural development program was less useful than the practical application of working in 15 villages with their unique conditions, cultures, circumstances and people-led development.
Rahul works with a team of 2 other field workers who employ participatory methods to build trust and relationships with the villages they serve. Natwar, one of the field workers, could have worked in the private sector for a lot more money when he graduated with a MBA. But coming home to his village and getting involved with the women’s self help groups (SHGs) motivated him to get involved in community driven development.
Natwar explained that initially the men in this rural community of Hemapura were reluctant to let the women in their households group together. But after witnessing the success of women’s self help groups; they have begun to create more opportunities for women to participate in the village’s planning processes.
I was able to join a meeting of the Bismillah Self Help Group. This is a group of Muslim women who have saved more than 10,000 rupees in less than a year. They have managed to support each other in buying goats, sewing machines and even send their girls to school. At this particular meeting of the Bismillah SHG, the women discuss their concerns about not being able to recruit a teacher for the girls’ school that they’ve just established.
Bismillah SHG has worked with the local Madrassah (mosque) to offer a room to start this school. But this may not be the best solution. There is some discussion between the SHG members and the GRAVIS field workers about whether or not holding a secular school on the Madrassah premises might give the impression that the school is non-secular. The women suggest approaching the local panchayat (governing body) to ask them to donate land to the budding school. This way the school will be clearly non-denominational. The school would then be more accessible to people from all communities and castes.
There is much discussion amongst the young and old and everyone gets to express their opinion before a decision and a plan is made. A small group of women will approach the panchayat for support.
It’s the first day of Ramadan, the holy month of fasting in Islam. The chairwoman of the Bismillah SHG speaks to us about how all people are one under Allah’s moon and sun. This is what the group celebrates. The women warmly share with us their ritual of cooking special foods to break fast daily.
Over my now sixth cup of chai today, I learn about how the group overcame initial dissensions to build greater unity with each other. They now work together on meaningful projects, both for their homes as well as for the community at large. They talk about sharing crops, water and just as importantly, insights about their children. And so begins that important time of the year and as the sun slowly sets over the desert. I am grateful again to celebrate grassroots action in all its glory.
