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1. Women’s Dairy Cooperative Society (WDCS) |
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| One of the major initiatives taken by Deepak Foundation towards fostering economic self-reliance among women was the establishment of dairy cooperatives run by village women. For this purpose, the felt needs of the women regarding income generating activities were identified and it was decided that the planned income generating activity should not increase the drudgery of women; rather it should build around their existing activities.
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The women in these villages were routinely engaged in cattle rearing. Therefore, initially the Foundation launched its cattle care program with the objective to boost milk production and bring in more income for the women. Though this approach led to improved milk production, women did not benefit due to lack of fair marketing systems.
When these women grouped together for Deepak’s Savings and Credit Society, the idea of organizing themselves into dairy cooperatives evolved. To get the dairy started, women pooled Rs.2500/- from the Savings and Credit Society and linked themselves with Baroda District Dairy, with the active support of the Foundation. The first women’s dairy cooperative was thus created in the year 1995 in Sakariapura, a small village near Nandesari Industrial area.
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| The success story of the Sakariapura village spread to other catchment villages. Today the women’s dairy movement, supported by DF is operating successfully in Nandesari and Chhota Udepur in Vadodara district and Halvad and Dhrangadhra blocks in Surendranagar district, Gujarat. By February 2007, 38 women’s dairy co-operatives have been formed with a membership of 3,536 and a turnover of Rs. 221 lakhs. In a short span of time this stride towards women’s self-reliance has gained greater pace, reaching out to more and more women and empowering them. |
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The women’s dairy cooperatives have opened wide horizons for women. Fair price for milk, availability of fodder, knowledge about checking fat, dairy visits, participation in meetings, availability of bonus, small credit facility and veterinary services are some of the tangible benefits reported by the women. Some of the less tangible changes like higher esteem for women’s work, increase in self-respect and confidence, decision making ability, support from family members, ability to demand services and spend money for one’s own needs and so on have also been observed. The Foundation ensures that the key aspects of information and social exposure, such as education, training, exposure visits, opportunity to attend meetings etc. which are critical in increasing the knowledge and self-assurance, are made available for all women involved in livelihood activities supported by the Foundation.
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2. Self Help Groups (SHGs) |
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An important intervention of the Foundation that took care of women’s access to finance was the micro-credit program. DF’s intervention in micro credit dates back to 1994 when the first self help group of women was formed. Based on the principle of self- help, these groups were actively encouraged by DF to be self-reliant and to manage their groups themselves. Programs for adolescent boys and girls to help them acquire loans for livelihood were also introduced later. |
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The concept of SHG was thought to be an effective method for making women financially independent by inculcating in them the habit of saving regularly and using their skills for productive purposes.
As a result, many women started earning on their own by buying cattle,
joining dairy cooperatives and cottage industries, starting small shops,
purchasing and selling of items, etc. In this process, women slowly learnt to break the shackles of subjugation and carried themselves forward, leading and motivating other women to follow suit. |
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Currently there are 127 SHGs with 2122 members in Nandesari, Chhota Udepur, Kawant and Naswadi blocks of Vadodara District (rural). There has been a significant improvement in the loan recovery rate, from 55% two years ago, to an astounding 97.6%. The total savings reported by the SHGs exceed Rs. 31 lakhs |
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DF has found that the micro-credit program is an effective strategy to increase the income, capacity and skills of women. A predominant part of the intervention focuses on training that develops the capacities of the women to manage their savings and credit groups themselves. Visits to banks, filling bank documents
and maintaining group level accounts are part of the training and exposure given to the members of the groups. New loan schemes are devised for women, such as loans for education, health and livelihood which can be availed from SHGs at different rates of interest. IEC materials for the new loan products such as leaflets, installment calculation books etc. are developed which help the team to get a positive response from the community. |
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The SHGs are made self-reliant by encouraging the groups to set apart administrative expenses, i.e 2% of their savings. Team meetings are conducted regularly to encourage the SHG members to take up economic activities and bank dealings. |
The average members per SHG is around 15. The groups practice income generating activities such as making detergent powder, sale of sarees, running canteens, etc. by taking internal loan as well as loan from banks. Sangathan is a community Women’s group. The purpose is to look into overall village development. Sangathan members are also the members of different SHGs of the same village. The activities of SHG and Sangathan groups are as follows: |
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Shakti project of Hindustan Lever Limited: At present about 35 women of 10 SHG groups are working in this project, earning a profit of around 1500 to 1000 rupees per month.
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Vermicompost Activity: We have recently started the vermicompost activity with about 20 SHG members of Nandesari and are in the process of expanding the activities to a large scale. Those members have sold 10 quintals of vermicompost in a period of 2 months and there is a huge demand of vermicompost in the neighbouring area which shows the future visibility of the project in a large scale. The main objectives are:
- To help women set up micro-enterprises based on vermiculture technology, in rural areas to improve their economic and social status
- To improve soil fertility and food production through the recycling of organic materials and wastes
- To use vermicompost as the substitute for chemical fertilizers
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Agricultural activity: Vegetable cultivation, with hybrid varieties and new practices, has been demonstrated at Nandesari with 3 groups, and we are still in the phase of expanding the program. Already one farmer has harvested around 15 quintals of tomato from his 10 decimal of land. In Surendranagar district, fodder cultivation is being practiced by the SHG members who ensure milk production even in the off season.
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3. Other Activities
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Some SHG members are involved in lucrative activities like making jute handicrafts and bags with different materials and baby kit preparation. We are now exploring a good market for those products and also trying to standardize the products with value addition.
A number of baby kits prepared by the members are now being sent to Jabugam hospital to be given to newborn babies of
tribal families Below Poverty Line (BPL) free of cost. These kits are also kept in sub centers and sold at a subsidized rate. |
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| Pithora Paintings: Empowering Women with the Help of a Local Art |
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Pithora is a highly ritualistic painting done on the walls, traditionally, by the men folk of tribes like Rathwas, Bhilals, and Naykas, living in Chhota Udepur taluka of Vadodara district. This is a male dominated activity. Traditionally Pithora artists are called Lakharas. The colors are prepared using color-powder mixed with milk and Mahuda liquor. These paintings have significance in the lives of the artists who believe that pithora paintings in their homes bring peace, prosperity and happiness. A horse or a bull, which might be the image of a God, impresses him with a unique central quality. This central quality is worked upon and given a form. It might be crude but it is this crudity that adds to the beauty of this painting. |
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Deepak Foundation, working in four tribal blocks of Chhota Udepur, Kawant, Pavi Jetpur and Naswadi on its ‘Safe Motherhood and Child Survival project’ realized that health interventions cannot be sustained unless livelihood generation is also taken up simultaneously. Thus, DF initiated a project
for training women in this traditional art work, thereby providing them with an income generating activity, in villages of Chhota Udepur taluka of Vadodara district. This project was taken up with more financial assistance from the United Way of Baroda. |
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Aims |
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To develop Self Help Groups in 16 villages to promote alternative livelihood opportunities to tribal women in Chhota Udepur taluka
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To promote Pithora Painting as a source of income of the SHG members to meet their economics needs
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To establish market linkages of their products
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To generate demand for health services in villages among community members through this initiative of Self Help Groups as an alternative income source
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Implementation |
Experts/Trainers from Chhota Udepur have been identified and invited to train the SHG members
in making Pithora paintings, pricing and marketing of the product. These
are well known artists who have received recognition at national level
and have shown their willingness in imparting training to the women in
product design and development and raw material purchase. Experts from
National Institute of Design have also been involved in designing
products using Pithora Painting. Shops have been identified in Baroda so that market linkages with the groups to sell the products can be established. |
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