The District Poverty Initiative Project (DPIP) and the National Rural livelihoods Mission (NRlM) are empowering the self-help groups in the rural areas of the State. After constitution of the women’s self-help groups, the women have improved the economic condition of their families.

The self-help groups are also discharging important responsibility of providing jobs to unemployed rural youths. So far, lakhs of poor rural families have been associated with over 70 thousand self-help groups in Madhya Pradesh. Planned efforts are being made to empower them economically through livelihoods activities.

The enlightened women of remote village Moi near Biaora bypass in Rajgarh district have changed the fortunes of their families as well as village. Women associated with eight self-help groups in the village have saved Rs81,000 through small bits of saving. As many as 328 families live in this small village under Gram Panchayat Nariyabe. DPIP provided Rs11.92 lakh loan to these self-help groups through Gram Utthan Samitis. Besides, Regional Rural Bank and ICICI Bank also fixed credit limit of Rs50,000 for every group. So far, these self-help groups have received loans worth Rs18.17 lakh. Women members of these SHGs have increased their family income through rearing of buffaloes and goats and other livelihoods activities. They are also repaying loans in time and are now expanding their livelihoods activities by obtaining second instalment of loan.

Women members of self-help groups also take part regularly in Gram Sabhas. It is thanks to their sustained efforts that piped water scheme has been started in the village. They have also struggled against the practice of open-air defecation and have constructed toilets in their houses. They are well aware of a number of schemes beneficial for their families and villages. A shine of self-confidence is visible on the faces of women associated with self-help groups. This positive change has also served as inspiration for women in nearby villages.

Poor rural women of tribal-dominated village Kachnariya in Rajgarh district have also written a new chapter of economic development of their village by joining self-help groups. The 152 families in the village had joined livelihood activities with the start of DPIP in year 2009 in the villages. They have formed 12 self-help groups. The self-help groups were provided Rs17.69 lakh loans by Gram Utthan Samiti. later, they also obtained loans from banks. Members of the SHGs have taken Rs. 60.79 lakh loans so far.

With the financial assistance, women of village Kachnariya have changed fortunes of their families. These women and families are running flour mills and grocery shops as well as cycle repairing, centring, animal husbandry and other occupations successfully.Through income from her successful occupation, Imrat Bai, member of Shri Krishna Bhagwan self-help group of the village has educated her son up to engineering in Indore and has made her daughter-in-law self-reliant by getting her training in tailoring.

As many as 170 self-help groups of 25 villages under DPIP have joined cluster-level organisation constituted in December 2013 last at village Kalipeeth in Rajgarh district. The cluster has been named as laxmi Community Cooperation Organisation. With infrastructural assistance from State livelihoods Mission, the cluster has constructed its office building apart from computers and furniture. So far, DPIP has provided Rs31.22 lakh loan to these groups. Besides, Regional Rural Bank has also fixed Rs 1 lakh credit limit for every SHG.

Using these funds, the groups have established shops to form rural markets. So far, Rs46.50 lakh loans have been provided to various groups.