Empowerment of Tribal Women Through Thrift and Credit 

AID - Jharkhand (East-singhbhum Chapter)

 

AID has been carrying several educational and empowerment initiatives among the tribal community in the East Singhbhum district of Jharkhand for the past one decade. Though socially the tribal women's group was grouped together, economic empowerment was not achieved due to their lack of skills and low productivity. The existence of barter system in the tribal regions further dispossessed them of any money power. After working hard in collecting the various forest produce, they were bartered away from common salt and oil. Most of the time the market value of the forest produce is much higher. Lack of capital money and co operative effort of the tribal women and the gullibility of tribal women were capitalized by the traders.

In these circumstances, AID took up the initiative of enhancing the economic empowerment of the tribal women groups through thrift and credit groups. Participatory planning with the tribal women groups, traditional employment emerged as the choice and most appropriate for sustainable economic gains.

• Tamarind collection

• Rice trading

• Goatry

• Poultry

• Piggery

• Leaf plate making

• Minor forest produce collection

• Tailoring

• Vegetable cultivation

• Mushroom cultivation

women groups with membership strength of 342 women have directly benefited through these initiatives. The women groups are spread out in different villages of East Singhbhum district of Jharkhand

The annual income of each group apart from saving and lending has increased between Rs. 5000- 10000 per annum.

This is one example of the change that has taken place in the lives of the tribal women. Several women have gained from the women forums in the region.

Sonka Gope hails from village Samarsai. She has been associated with the various programs of AID being implemented in the region. Primarily she joined the adult literacy classes run by AID in 1992. In 1993 the women in the adult literacy center felt the need to have an exclusive forum for women and she led the group. As a result of long efforts of Sonka the women group emerged and slowly started taking up various issues affecting their village. The efforts of women group were able to bring about housing for 15 people in their village, drinking water well and every women member started kitchen garden in their houses.

This year the group also raised loan of Rs. 28000.00 from AID and the members prioritized the needs and distributed the money among the members. Sonaka raised the loan for dehusking the paddy and selling the rice in the market. She has been successful in not only selling the rice for a profit but also in replying the loan she raised.\par Sonka feels that lot of positive changes has taken place in her after associating with the women\rquote s group. Now,I can read and write. I am able to independently take decisions. I am able to go to the market and determine the price of the products. More importantly I am able to sell my produce convincingly to the people. I have gained lot of self confidence and I am also sending my children to school. All these things were made possible if not for the support I receive from my women's forum