[Reader-list] Case Study of Self-Help Group from Tripura

Sun Mar 24 19:54:56 IST 2002

The following is a success story from Tripura.
This information is taken from SIPARD (STATE INSTITUTE
OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT,TRIPURA's website-
www.sipard.nic.in
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 Successful Initiatives           

----------------------------------------------------Together
We Stand
(Case-Study Of Self Help Group) 

- Ms.R.Mangathai, Asst.Professor (Gender studies),
SIPARD

In the interiors of the hillocks of green Tripura
stands the village Dhariathal. Mandara Debbarma is
from an agricultural family and she dropped out of
school after the madhyamik exam. That was a sufficient
qualification for her to get married. She was married
to a higher secondary pass unemployed youth. As time
passed by three children and Bekar (unemployed)
husband were additions in her life. Her father in law
was a DRW in one of the offices in Bishalgarh. Because
of this her husband had never felt the pinch though
she was dreaded about the future. The day she feared
had come with the sudden death of her Father-in-Law.
Her husband started doing petty jobs here and there.
She was taking tuitions for small class children of
the neighborhood. Since all of them were very poor she
could earn only Rs 60/- per month. But this was a
scanty amount.

She had overheard the panchayat members talking about
Self help group then she found out from the block
level functionaries that women can help themselves out
with the help of Swanirbhar Dal (SHG) .She with 15
like minded persons formed in to Dhariathal Mahila
Self-Help Group. This group is of mixed nature in the
sense that there were eleven tribals and four Non
tribal women. Mandara was a bit alarmed about the
composition because of the sensitive ethnic situation
in Tripura. Mandara was the only educated girl so she
was chosen by all the members to be their leader. Some
six of the members were field labourers, three of them
were selling puffed rice and the others are not
specially employed.

In the group they used to save Rs 20/- month. They met
on the 15th of every month. Mandara used to maintain
group account, passbook and related matters and her
group members were of not much help as they could only
sign and read with great difficulty. In the meetings
at least 35%-40% were always absent. But they were
sending the savings through other members. Saving of
Rs 20/- was a difficult task to be done for them. The
common ways of savings are by selling one or two eggs,
sell vegetables from their home garden, by selling
daily saved rice and savings of 50 paisa like that
whenever they do marketing for the house. After they
had completed six months the group savings was
1800.This had received a boost with Rs 25000/-
revolving fund.

After getting the revolving fund assistance fourteen
of the members have taken the loan from the group
savings. Each one of them borrowed Rs 1500/- for
goatery. Only Sandhya an SC widow with 3 children did
not taken any loan. She was not sure if she takes such
a big amount she might not be able to pay back.
Managing such a vast credit account was a problem for
Mandara. She used to feel that there was not even a
single woman in the group who could help her. She had
to explain the same issues again and again. Some times
she herself used to get confused. The members
continued with repayment but not in uniform
installments. This created problem in the accounts
maintenance for Mandara. In case they wanted to know
how much each one has saved, Mandara could not answer,
as they are not maintaining individual passbooks. Many
of the group members used to bring their near and dear
with applications for loans. Mandara had to explain
that the money is only for the group members. In spite
of all this the members were glad that they are having
a source of saving and earning with the credit.

At this juncture Dhariathal Mahila Self Help Group was
invited to participate in the training programme on
Self-Help Groups at SIPARD, Agartala. Mandara has come
to the town (Agartala) for the first time in her life.
Her husband who got assistance to set up a carpentry
unit an year back told that he will take care of the
children and she may go. On reaching SIPARD she was so
relived of tension to see that many other SHG leaders
are getting registered at the reception. A sense of
confidence bloomed in her.

The training programme included Concept of SHG, need
and scope, prerequisites, identification of future
economic activities, capacity building and
bookkeeping. The discussions and lectures were held
with the help of transparencies, slides and PowerPoint
presentations. The group leaders were shown the
experiences and activities, problems and possible
solutions worked out by the SHGs in other parts of the
country. Videos were shown about the technical
training centers. Elaborate session on bookkeeping was
held till 7.30 in the night on one-day .A half-day
demonstration and an expert in pot painting took
teaching on the pot painting and decoration from
AndhraPradesh. A detailed course manual in the form of
a Bengali book was given to Mandara along with the
other group leaders. Transparencies on SHGs-formation
and sustenance were photocopied and given to them.

At the end of the training she was really delighted
with the material in her hand and the experience and
knowledge in her mind. She carried with her one of the
pots painted and the flowers she has made with ceramic
powder during the process of the pot painting
learning. As soon she reached in the evening she found
her group members waiting for her, as she is the only
woman in her neigh hood to go to Agartala. They have
decided to meet the next day.

Mandara has become a trainer herself for her group
members. She has pasted all the slides in the
panchayat office where they hold their meetings. She
took the book and explained to all of them page by
page. Especially clauses on how to lend loans and loan
applications, maintenance of group records and
passbooks were clearly explained to them .It is made
clear that the monthly meeting is not for pooling of
savings only rather it should be the locus of group
discussions and activities in different directions.
During her deliberation with the group members there
were many questions and Mandara found them not so easy
to explain though she could do it. She also told them
that attendance in the groups is indispensable and
there will be a fine in future for being absent. She
told them how important it is that a group and
collective conscience so that they can do so many
things as a group. She had given them the examples she
had heard and seen during her training at SIPARD. All
of them had gone back home with a new enthusiasm and
determination. Mandara with the help of the book given
to her and the help of her class viii daughter has
made the book/ledger for loan giving and repayment.
She has made a loan application. She along with three
other members went to Panchayat samity and collected
the individual passbook for everyone. She with the
help of her group members did a survey of the
viability of plastic mat making and pot making to
take-up as a key activity.

By the time the second meeting took place Mandara and
some of her group members were with new ideas and new
books. The members were taken aback when she had given
them individual passbook and began saying that "we
have trust in you Mandara". She told them that these
books have to be maintained for one’s own clarity and
that will reduce burden on the group leader and
involve the group members. On that day during the half
daylong

meeting they had decided about their future course of
action. They had decided to go for plastic basket
making and mat making as they already have the skill.
The raw material is easily available cheaply and
market is readily there. This activity they have
decided to do it together in the panchayat office
everyday at a fixed time. Regarding the pot decoration
they planned to make it themselves in small number of
1 or 2 per member and sell in the market during the
"Puja" (Dussera) time.

Now Mandara and the members themselves are
experiencing a gradual change in their group with the
adoption of few new rules, practices and decisions.
Absence in the meeting has tremendously reduced. Now
all the members know that there are prescribed forms
to be filled up for borrowing loans and they are aware
that production loans by the members is positive for
the group. Sandhya was interested to take the loan now
with this confidence. In the meetings they are
discussing each other’s experiences and are planning
for better. In their village they wanted to be a model
group. They ensured that all the children of the group
members are immunized and going to school. Previously
they had the desire to put their children in the
school, but they could not afford not. But now they
have the backup support from the group.

The group had taken part in two village melas.
Together all of them had made Achar (pickle),Chanachur
(dry snacks) and Pitha (sweet).Participation in the
Melas was a morale boost to the group. It has
instilled a new sense of togetherness, which was not
there before, and they had accelerated on their
savings also. They were very glad to see SIPARD
"Didimani" (Sister) when she visited them and eagerly
told that seeing their good experience two more self
help groups have formed in their village. There is now
inter group communication in the village. Mandara had
brought with her the leaders of the other two groups
in her village and she was hoping that training will
provide guidance to them. She said

" Taravu pore Shakthishali hoibo"

(Like us even they will become strong later).

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