COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DIVISION

With an average workday of 16 to 18 hours women in the villages of India often work the hardest and are the most exploited. The primary source of income in the rural part of Anupshahar is agriculture and animal husbandry; both of which are often done by the womenfolk. With limited earnings, women often take loans from moneylenders and end up in a vicious circle because of high-interest rates of around 60%.

They have no forum or space to share their feelings or to find options for the betterment of their own lives. To address this issue of equality and rights for women, PPES set up a Community Development Division (CDD).

Via the CDD, PPES ensures the economic empowerment of these women by enhancing their livelihoods and creating saving and inter-loaning options, at the same time ensuring social empowerment through eradicating discrimination.

SELF HELP GROUPS

AGRICULTURE PRACTICES

HEALTH DOMAINS

RENEWABLE ENERGIES

SELF HELP GROUPS (SHG'S)

Self-help group is a collective of 10-12 women who meet on a weekly basis to discuss their issues and to create a collective pot of money through which they can save and inter-loan money.

PPES initiated the formation of Self-help groups of women in villages to make them socially and economically independent.

THE THREE KEY PILLARS OF OUR SHG'S ARE:

DISCIPLINE

UNITY

HONESTY

Women in SHGs save between Rs. 5 to 10 a day per woman and the money saved by them is then used for inter-loaning. A separate bank account is opened for each SHG through which the members are trained on banking and financial management.

The members of an SHG lend money to each other at an annual interest rate of 24%. Out of this, 9% of the interest amount is distributed amongst themselves. This interest rate is much lower than what moneylender charges them, thereby saving women from the exploitation of moneylenders. This is a very powerful tool for restoring the dignity and self-respect of women.

SHGs have given a platform for women to voice their personal and community issues as a collective. They are learning about their rights, the power of collective action, etc. as a part of these groups.

The SHGs under the guidance of PPES are now working towards creating a federation.

THE STRUCTURE OF THE SELF HELP GROUPS

Federation

A federation is a superstructure of the Self Help Groups. To ensure the sustainability of the SHG, a regular support system is needed which can run and monitor the programme. The federation serves this purpose. The Federation Board is elected from within the community and PPES will be a part of the Board as an expert director.

The women in the federation pay a membership charge to become a member. This is to ensure the longevity of the federation and also creates a sense of ownership by the women for the programme.

The role of the federation is to sustain the SHG’s by enabling them:

  • To enrol more women into the program.
  • To make them self-dependent and financially independent.
  • To coordinate partnerships with other institutions.
  • To establish links with financial institutions.
  • To enhance the quality and capacity of their members.
  • To increase the capacity of the SHGs.
  • Troubleshooting.
  • Working on social and regional issues.
  • To learn and share experiences among SHGs.
  • To strategize.
  • A bigger platform for leadership.
  • To work on bigger objectives as a collective.

AGRICULTURE BEST PRACTICES

Agriculture Best Practices

At a nominal fee of INR 50-100 women of the SHGs are trained in agricultural best practices with the aim of increasing their crop yield, thus, enhancing livelihood.

Women are trained on the following requirements and best practices of agriculture.

  • Good quality seeds.
  • A balanced dose of fertilizers.
  • Timely sowing and harvesting.
  • Integrated insect and pest management (IPM).

DAIRY BEST PRACTICES

PPES decided to work on Dairy Best Practices so that the women could get better quality and increased quantity of milk, which could be sold at the right price.

Currently, PPES is working on the following four best practices of dairy with women.

  1. Training to provide a balanced diet to the animal.
  2. Proper insemination of animals for a better breed.
  3. Immunisation of animals.
  4. Milk Collection centres.

These practices have led women to have better returns and thus enhance their family’s income.

RENEWABLE ENERGIES

Anupshahar receives over nine months of strong sunshine in a year, making it the perfect place to reap solar energy. Hence, PPES piloted a solar grid through our self-help groups.

A solar grid catering to the needs of 42 households has been established in village Bachhi Khera. The model is based on ‘pay as you use’ leading to its sustainability. A 10  INR recharge is enough for approximately 2 days of electricity.

  • Integrated insect and pest management (IPM)
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