Economic Growth India Project #3907

Make Women in Rural India Financially Secure

by Seva Mandir

Make Women in Rural India Financially Secure

Project Report | Aug 23, 2018
SHGs- Enabling Women to Empower their Families

By Atul Lekhra | Manager- Resource Mobilization

Leela works as an Anganwadi (Government run day-care center) Instructor working hard to support her household along with her husband who works for a marketing company, though only earning a very meager wage. As the primary earner for the family, the burden on Leela’s shoulders is heavy.

They have a 15-year-old son, but, to help support his parents, he quit his education after 9^th Grade, and left to work as a daily labourer in the southern-west Indian city of Pune, nearly a 1,000 kms away from Udaipur.

Leela lives with her in-laws, and this joint family structure was not helpful to her. Because her husband earns only a small wage, her in-laws put a lot of pressure on her to look after them as well. She wanted to have an independent life for her and her family, so one day, she decided to construct a separate family home. She took a loan from a local lender, but eventually ran out of money before the home was completed. Luckily, there was a Seva Mandir run Self Help Group (SHG) for women in Leela’s village, and she contacted them to help her complete her home.

Seva Mandir helps women organize themselves into Self-help Groups that give them financial independence to help their families avoid or escape from debt. They also serve as a forum for women to tackle social and legal issues which affect their daily lives.

She became a member and started taking part in the meeting and joining the other women members in adding some savings to the group, whilst saving some for her family too. In November 2016, she took a loan from her SHG and finished the construction of her home.

Leela feels complete now she has her own family home; “Now I live in my own house and my son is on the verge of finishing his schooling and if required, I am willing to take more loans for his higher education. I am very thankful to Seva Mandir and everyone in my SHG as they all supported me during my financial crisis. My husband is also able to earn a higher wage now, which helps the family in meeting day to day expenses.”

Without your support none of this would be possible, so a heartfelt thank you goes out to you for supporting our efforts in empowering women. The empowerment and autonomy of women are essential for the achievement of sustainable development.

Thank you once again. We hope to receive your continued support.

Warm wishes,

Atul Lekhra & the Seva Mandir Team

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May 25, 2018
That's how Surekha saved her little Daughter!

By Atul Lekhra | Manager- Resource Mobilization

Dear Change-maker!

Seva Mandir strives for the improvement of the political, economic and social status of the women who live in the small villages of Southern Rajasthan, India. We have created inter-loaning groups called Self Help Groups (SHGs). One of the major objectives behind the formation of SHGs is to enable tribal women to achieve economic prosperity through being able to borrow money from within the community.

Through today’s update I would like to share with you the remarkable story of a strong woman Surekha who through her awareness got benefitted from her SHG.

Surekha lives in Magwas village of south Rajasthan. She is a member of a Self Help Group from 2013. Surekha has four daughters. Her husband works as a daily wage labour. Her oldest daughter who is 10 years old, studying in class 4^th was diagnosed with a heart problem. She was therefore admitted in a hospital in Udaipur. Surekha didn’t have enough money to get her operated. Her husband visited neighbours and relatives to borrow money but failed to get any support. Surekha then spoke to her SHG group and requested them to lend loan of Rs. 10,000 ($150). She was immediately sanctioned the loan.

The operation was successful and her daughter is healthy now. Her group members are very happy to save her life.

This is just one of the examples of how the SHGs help women during their time of need. The loans from SHGs help these women to invest in their children’s education, to build toilets and bathrooms in their homes, set up shops to improve their well-being, buy cattle and so on. Helping women run well governed and self-governed- Self-Help Groups also develops solidarity, governance and management capacities among women.

Your donation is changing the lives of hundreds of women here in this part of the world and this has not been possible without your support.

Thank you so much.

Warm wishes,

Atul Lekhra & the Seva Mandir Team

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Feb 28, 2018
A New Ray of Hope

By Atul Lekhra | Manager- Resource Mobilization

Kelwa is a peri-urban area some 70 km from Udaipur city in south Rajasthan (India). This is an area where marble is mined and worked, and most of the men have jobs in the industry. The women have little opportunity to work, and need extra income to help make ends meet. Work that they can do at home is particularly welcome so that they can combine it with looking after their children and households.

Seva Mandir has set up women’s Self-Help Groups in the area, and one of the activities being organized is a course in sewing. Sadhna, a social enterprise producing hand-made textile products, provides teachers and materials for the course, which lasts three months.

There are 47 women enrolled on the current course, and average attendance is 35 on any day. The trainer from Sadhna’s headquarters is very pleased with the current batch and thinks that 80% of them will make very good embroiderers.

The women tell us that they really need the work, and they are clearly enjoying sitting together and learning the intricate skills they are being taught. In time, perhaps they will be able to earn as much as skilled seamstresses who can earn up to Rs 6,500 ($100) a month.

“Meena [name changed] has no parents but has been married for some time. She looks no more than 23 or 24 and has two children. She tells us how much she always wanted to study but that she was never able to go to school. She bursts into tears as her disappointment surfaces, and she realizes she will never now get the education she so desperately wanted. She stitches away determinedly, clinging to this chance of a little independence.”

Despite the difficulties that many of these women face, they are cheerful as they sit here together and seem filled with hope that this new skill will help them improve their lives.

Thank you once again. We hope to receive your continued support.

Warm wishes,

Atul Lekhra & the Seva Mandir Team

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