A self-help group is an independent voluntary association formed by women from the same socio-economic background who come together to the purpose of solving their common problems. The origin of SHG dates back to 1975 founded by professor Mohammed Yunus, a Nobel laureate for pioneering the concepts of microcredit and microfinance. SHGs are formed by government organizations in order to edge the poverty. SHGs are seen as an implementation for the goals of empowering women, developing leadership amongst poor and needy people. Members of SHGs make regular small savings to make a corpus fund until there is enough money to lend it to those who are in need or divide amongst themselves.
The very existence of SHGs is to make people of below-poverty-line be hopeful and self-reliant. It enables financial security as a primary focus and other common interest of members in areas like awareness, motivation, leadership, community development, training and associating in social inter-mediation programmes for the benefit of the entire community.
DGVS played an important role in promoting SHGs. Skill training programs for SHGs are periodically conducted by DGVS to promote leadership qualities and income-generating activities. These types of training bring SHGs close to DGVS for their formation and function. DGVS played a decisive role as an effective delivery mechanism in rural development thus by improving the quality of life and socio-economic status of women. Most of the members of SHGs agree that rural development activities have shown a positive impact and has improved their quality of life tremendously.
DGVS facilitate as an intermediate playing a significant role in initiating the right enterprises and technical skills to SHGs. Women are imparted with technical knowledge, skill training and marketing techniques that help to establish a sustainable business. DGVS served as a key to the capacity building and it is evident that our capacity planning schemes have brought desirable changes in the lives of many women through training thus improving their abilities and skills. Capacity planning empowers women to meet the demanding challenges that are required for employment. Like the coin has two sides the scope of SHGs has a darker side to it. Lack of motivation and involvement from the members of the group and the absence of effective leadership makes the growth of SHGs erratic.
DGVS served as an important catalyst in bringing up SHGs. In order to make things straight for the successful functioning of SHGs, DGVS played a dedicated role with stability and adopted workable strategies for longevity and sustainability of a SHGs in the long run. There wouldn’t be an economic boom unless women become economically self-reliant and developed. A study emphasises that the development of women alone will banish the intensity of poverty.
DGVS play an important role in promoting SHGs. Skill training programs for SHGs are periodically conducted to promote leadership qualities and income-generating activities. These types of training bring SHGs close to DGVS for their formation and function. DGVS play a decisive role as an effective delivery mechanism in rural development thus by improving the quality of life and socio-economic status of women. Most of the members of SHGs agree that rural development activities have shown a positive impact and has improved their quality of life tremendously. DGVS facilitate as an intermediate playing a significant role in initiating the right enterprises and technical skills to SHGs. Women are imparted with technical knowledge, skill training and marketing techniques that help to establish a sustainable business. DGVS has formed around 1500 plus SHGs till that which involve women, farmers, etc.
- SWAYAM SIDDHA: Swayam Siddha was one of the women empowerment scheme supported by the World Bank, in Uttar Pradesh the scheme was coordinated by Mahila Kalyan Nigam Uttar Pradesh, DGVS had been implemented the scheme in 57 Gram Panchayats of Rath block of Hamirpur district and 60 Gram Panchayats of Shankargarh block of Allahabad district. Under the scheme 200 women SHGs has been constituted and women SHG members get empowered through various training A federation of 1700 SHG women has been constituted in Rath block.
- MICRO-FINANCE: TRUST MICROFIN NETWORK – Under this project the SHG member get the opportunity to have a lone credit of Rs 10000 for goatry and buffalo buying. The beneficiaries are given the financial support to buy buffalo and goats and through this they can have their own income generating way. This somehow manage to improve the Livelihood of the SHG members. 100% Recovery is done by the organisation. The demand and need of loan is much more than the financial resource available with the organisation. We require much larger financial resource to full fill this loan demand by the SHG members. NGO also worked on SRI, SWI, Micro finance, formation of 100 WSHG, Woman empowerment, Woman Federation, Buffalo and Goat rearing
- MICRO FINANCE: SIR DORABJI TATA TRUST – Poverty is a curse for any one, in the society the situation of women is not good. To empowerment of women, especially in rural areas, they are organizing through SHGs and increasing their income to link them with various income generating activities. Under the project the main objective is to strengthening of existing SHGs and establishment of Buffalo and Goatary Farming unit for livelihood improvements among the marginalized communities. The total no. of Beneficiaries are 720 women of 67 SHGs from 27 villages of Rath Block.
- JIVIKA: A initiative by DGVS of training the SHGs in food processing. The trainings have been extremely successful as they could learn how food processing gives a very good start and profit. Initially, the groups invested a sum of Rs.5000 including the ingredients for baking cakes like flour, baking powder, bakers whip cream powder, and simple ingredients for making pickles like species, oil, vegetables of any choice and pickle packing bottles or containers and other ingredients for making jams etc. As of now, they sell these products in their own and nearby villages. The earning of the group after deducting all the incurring cost was around 8000 which almost doubled to Rs. 14,290 in the second try. This was very encouraging not only for the two groups but for many other SHGs groups in the locality. Indeed, with their knowledge and success, the groups are today mobilizing resources and encouraged other SHGS groups in their community by giving them training and to follow in the footsteps and choose food processing as a viable livelihood. The role of women has increased manifolds since the project began. The women explain that they have realized that economic self–dependence will come with this new source of earning a livelihood and it has been possible only because of food processing. They are now confident that more funds will come and the lives of their family will improve.