As a striking example of women empowerment, the ‘Prabhat Women Self-Help Group’ (SHG) of village Akola in Bilaspur district have started earning extra income from the work of preparing fresh meals and snacks for children of Anganwadi centres.
The SHG has gained much popularity in the nearby areas. People of adjacent villages come all the way to Prabhat Self Help Group for taking loan at 5 per cent monthly interest. This group has started doing internal transactions of up to Rs1 lakh, officials informed.
Chairperson of the Group Prabhavati said that in year 2006, 10 women had gathered to form ‘Prabhat Self Help Group.’ later, they opened their account in the name of SHG at UCO bank Masturi and deposited Rs100 per member in the account. The members of the group used to meet twice a month and collect Rs50 each. Soon they started giving the amount so collected as loan to members at 3 per cent monthly interest and at 5 per cent to the non-members.
After the SHG collected nearly Rs10,000, the Group members decided to start vegetable business along with their work of internal transactions. But they did not have any land to grow vegetables. Hence, they availed the loan scheme of Chhattisgarh Mahila Kosh and took loan of Rs10,000. After taking a piece of land on lease, they started growing vegetables and selling it off.
Part of the profit earned from vegetable business was distributed among the members. Soon, they also started the work of supplying nutritious supplement meals at Anganwadi centres. However, they couldn’t take land on lease again. But as they have gained much popularity in the surrounding areas, people of other villages have also started taking loans from them at the monthly interest of 5 per cent. In this way, Prabhat SHG started internal transaction of up to Rs1 lakh.
Part of profit so earned is distributed among the members.
Secretary of the Group Rajkumari said that after forming the SHG, all the members have become financially self-reliant. Inspired by their success, several other SHGs are following their example.
In year 2013, Prabhat SHG again took a loan of Rs50,000 from Chhattisgarh Mahila Kosh to expand their area of work. Using this amount, they started supplying ‘Murra laddoo’ in total of 60 Anganwadi centres of two circles under nutritious food supplement scheme. Now all the member women of this SHG have become competent enough to meet their own needs as well as the needs of their children.