Exposure Visit of Block Level Bal Panchayat Members
Bhilwara, Rajasthan, August 17, 2013
CUTS Centre for Human Development (CUTS CHD), Chittorgarh is implementing a project entitled, Stronger Voice to Excluded Children in Government & NGO Policies and Programmes (IPAP) at six gram panchayats of Chittorgarh block of Chittorgarh District of Rajasthan. The main objective of this programme is socially excluded children (Schedule Caste and Schedule Tribes) in 28 villages of Chittorgarh district in Rajasthan, benefit from the development programmes, policies and schemes of the government, donors and NGOs by end of December 2013. The condition of excluded children and their family in rural areas is very poor and they are not accepted by the society, and live under isolation. If orientation/exposure/training is provided to excluded children, such as orientation and mobility, life skills etc., and motivated through narration of success stories, they can contribute a lot to their family and themselves. These types of exposures encourage them and increase their knowledge and skills.
In this context, with the aim of entertaining, developing confidence and awareness among the children, an exposure visit will be held at Child Line 1098-Bhilwara on August 17, 2013. Under IPAP project, such types of activities are being conducted on a quarterly basis and good results are coming out. It will be a good experience for children as they will learn new things. They will meet with Child Line staff and understand about activities of Child Line Programme. Around 30 children will be visiting the field and participating in open-house activity and IEC & promotion activity. They will also interface with CWC members and understand the working process of committee. Previous visit was organised at Saras Dairy, Chittorgarh
For more information, please contact:
Dharmveer Yadav (Chittorgarh)- 88890841068, dy@cuts.org
Majid Khan, 8947807803, mk@cuts.org
Swadharini Project Launching
Chittorgarh, Rajasthan, August 27, 2013
Micro Finance
Besides geographical backwardness, poverty is rampant in certain groups, such as SC/ST households, who are the most deprived lot with poorest human development indicators and low income. Women are also underprivileged with most gender disparity indicators 57 higher than national averages. For rural poor, the income from agriculture and allied activities is seasonal in nature, primarily around the harvest season. Rural poor save money as cash in pocket/house, saving in recurring deposits in post office, buying insurance (mainly life insurance of LIC), saving in self-help groups (SHGs), chit funds/committees, and in companies.
Rural poor depend on money lenders and friends/relatives for credit. Due to numerous reasons, they have low access to formal sources of credit. The credit from informal sources comes at very high cost, i.e. at 24 to 60 percent annual interest respectively. The immediate propensity of 85 percent poor is to pay off costly loan from moneylenders and then to use it for meeting their consumption needs, health expenditures and after some time, start making small investments to augment their livelihood sources e.g. seeds and other inputs, fodder for animals etc.
SHG model has turned out to be a promising model for poverty alleviation in India. SHGs have become efficient vehicles of promoting savings and inter-loaning among poor women. SHG development evolves through phases of coming and learning to work together, developing norms of engagement and finally being able to work together in an interdependent and flexible manner. SHG movement builds on time-tested ‘conceptual package’ which involves organisation of poor into groups, capacity building to unleash their potential and empowering them to manage their own capital.
Access to financial services plays a very crucial role in economic and social development of people. The impact assessment of microfinance programmes in Rajasthan and elsewhere clearly indicates the change in income level of beneficiaries; reduction of dependence on moneylenders; increase in expenditure/ investment on children’s education, health, agricultural inputs, increase in production and most important the increased awareness and self-confidence among women and poor.
Over the years, considerable progress has been made in organising women into groups. The groups of women have to be promoted since new SHGs do not self-evolve. That’s where Self Help Promoting Institutions (SHPIs) play a key role. In order to give a boost to the programme in the State, with an emphasis on quality of SHGs, providing new products and services to the SHGs members and upgrading the SHGs to take up microenterprise activates, Swadharini is being launched as a pilot programme involving major non-governmental organisations (NGOs) functioning in the State as resource agencies, such as Consumer Unity & Trust Society (CUTS CHD).
About Swadharini Project
Swadharini is a pilot project with an objective to upscale and intensify the SHG-Bank Linkage Programme (SHG-BLP) in Rajasthan, based on Resource NGO (R-NGO) model. Though the SHG is spread across in several parts of the state, it has limited success in terms of impact. It is in this context, National Bank for Agricultural and Rural Development (NABARD) Regional Office has initiated a project entitled, Swadharini to strengthen and upscale the SHG programme in Rajasthan State. The object of the project is to promote, nurture and link SHGs to banks in identified districts through R-NGOs in 11 districts of Rajasthan.
This pilot project will also focus on capacity building and training of various stakeholders, viz. PIAs, Bankers, SHG workers and members and other related functionaries.
The selected R-NGO will identify the potential Project Implementing Agencies (PIAs) for forming and linking SHGs to banks in their respective areas. The R-NGO will train PIAs’ personnel’s to promote the SHGs programme. At the same time, R-NGOs will also provide training to bankers and other stakeholders as identified during situational analysis by them. The R-NGOs will monitor the programme in assigned districts and ensure that progress reports are submitted to NABARD in time. This is the first stage of Swadharini project.
Background of Resource Agency
Consumer Unity & Trust Society (CUTS) as part of Swadharini project in Bhilwara and Chittorgarh district of Southern Rajasthan will strengthen the SHG movement. Under the initiative the proposed resource agency is launching the project in respective districts viz. Chittorgarh and Bhilwara.
Date: August 27, 2013
Venue: DRDA Meeting hall, Chittorgarh
Time: 10.00 am to 03.00 pm
Participation: 40-50 (2 members each from SHPIs/PIAs and bankers, ICDS, RGAVP etc.)
For more information regarding the programme, please contact:
Dharmveer Yadav: 88890841068 (dy@cuts.org)
Madan Giri Goswami: 9829285938 (mgg@cuts.org)