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A women’s self-help group (SHG) model in Rajasthan’s Dholpur district has helped about 12,500 women in the western African countries of Mali and Senegal earn livelihoods, conserve environment and establish cooperative federations to take up farming, biogas production, poultry farming and goat rearing.
Women leaders from nine cooperatives in the two countries were on a visit to Rajasthan recently to get trained in new avocations.
Dholpur’s SHG model is based on five principles of Rajeevika — weekly meeting, weekly savings, internal borrowing, loan repayment and maintenance of records.
Now Women representatives from Mali and Senegal are saving up to ₹17 crore a year.
The saved money is used for inter-loaning to connect other women with income-generating activities.
The model has empowered rural communities to take collective action for economic development and self-governance
African women learnt about running federations and manufacturing products.
There is also similarities in the vegetation in Africa and Rajasthan, the coarse grains (Millets) were suitable for the environment of African countries as well.
Self-Help Groups (SHGs) are informal associations of people who choose to come together to find ways to improve their living conditions.
It can be defined as self-governed, peer-controlled information group of people with similar socio-economic background and having a desire to collectively perform common purpose.
SHG rely on the notion of “Self Help” to encourage self-employment and poverty alleviation.
Significance of SHGs?
Social integrity: SHGs encourages collective efforts for combating practices like dowry, alcoholism etc.
Gender Equity: SHGs empowers women and inculcates leadership skill among them
Voice to Marginalized Section: Most of the beneficiaries of government schemes have been from weaker and marginalized communities and hence their participation through SHGs ensures social justice.
Financial Inclusion: Priority Sector Lending norms and assurance of returns incentivize banks to lend to SHGs
Alternate source of Employment: It eases dependency on agriculture by providing support in setting up micro-enterprises
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