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New Life for Life-Givers -Empowering Women

In rural Jharkhand, the hand that rocks the cradle turns to rock after years of hard labour and neglect. Illiteracy, social oppression, little or no income, slavery to drudgery, exploitation by money lenders … it seems women of rural Jharkhand can only give life, without ever living their own.

Fortunately, women are the greatest power of KGVK, a fact made clear by the success of women-led Self-Help Groups and community-based organizations in Jharkhand. Comprising dynamic women involved in savings, credit, and various income generation activities. In fact, in the year 2007-08, 212 women’s SHGs were promoted in remote villages of Patan Block of Palamau District, Rajnagar Block of Seraikela-Kharsawan and Chanho Block of Ranchi District to enable 2,173 tribal families access cooperative credit for the first time.

Watershed Development Women, who had never been inside a bank before, today maintain over Rs 35 lakh in savings. Proving that Self-Help Group is not a project, but a powerful movement. Community health volunteers (Sahiyyas), agriculturists, micro-entrepreneurs, peer educators, revolutionaries… all it takes is an empowered woman to change the world.

Key Projects

Swa Shakti or the Strength from Self Project
Operational area : 14 villages of Burmu Block
Target Group: 60 SHGs
Initiatives:
Financial linkages, credit assistance, income generating schemes and micro-credit facility increased monthly incomes, resulting in up to 90% recovery rate of loans Greater community awareness and literacy programmes led to a 50% rise in awareness of health and social issues and a 90% hike in literacy levels Self-help Group Mahadhiveshan Mela was organized on 8th March, 2008, to celebrate International Women’s Day by the 60 SHGs of the Burmu Swa Shakti Mahila Sangh, who contributed 35% of the ceremony’s expenditure.

Micro-Enterprise Development
Partner: International Finance Corporation; Usha Martin Limited; Self-Employed Women’s Association (SEWA), Ahmedabad
Initiative:
Encouragement of income-generating activities with technical assistance from SEWA, Introduction of integrated insurance packages for SHG members, Cooperative movement in dairy activities Development of financial literacy programs for women

Financial Linkage Development
Partner: National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD)
Operational area: 16 remote villages of Palamau and Ranchi
Target Group: 150 SHGs
Initiative:
Linkages with banks Training of members through workshops by animators from their own villages Awareness of profitable saving and credit habits Capacity Building

New Indians ..............................................................................................

Meet the New Indians

She challenged Fate

When Ranthi Devi of Nauj village became widowed, she also became a penniless mother. Her earnings as an agricultural labourer were pitiful. In her poverty-stricken village, her starvation death would be labeled as an act of Fate.

But Ranthi was made of sterner stuff. Instead of putting her hands up for surrender, she took courage in her hands and joined Basair Mahila Mandal, a women’s self-help group in Nauj, in which she started to save money from her weekly earnings. After some time, she decided to borrow Rs 3000 from the SHG and open a tea stall at a point close to both the Bank and the Block Office.

Today, Ranthi runs a thriving tea-and-snacks store and wants to upgrade her business by serving meals. Her identity as a New Indian fits her to a tea.