THE PROJECT PROPOSAL FOR EMPOWERMENT OF TRIBAL WOMEN THROUGH SELF-HELP GROUPS
IN THE SHAHAPUR TALUKA OF THANE DISTRICT, MAHARASHTRA.
Synopsis of the organization:
Integrated Development society, (IDS, a-registered, non –profit organization
has been working in the social development areas since 1999.
Some of its development projects are as follows.
· HIV/AIDS awareness programmes for the people
· HIV/AIDS counseling center
· Poster exhibitions on the rights of the girl child.
· Capacity building of the college youths and CBOs
and NGOs on the human rights, child labors and formation of the women self-help
groups.
Training component
The organization has a team of professionals from the
social sciences background. A few of them have worked on various training
programmes organized for Gramsevaks, Child development officers, Anganwadi
and Health workers, supervisors of Anganwadis and National service volunteers
of the Nehru Yuva Kendra.
IDS, in alliance with the UNICEF,Mumbai has developed a training module to
initiate the community –based action for eradication of the child labour.Four
hundred youths of Nehru Yuva Kendra have been trained in the Nashik and Amravati
districts of the Maharashtra state.(page 1)
SHAHAPUR TALUKA-A GLIMPSE
Shahapur is one of the talukas of Thane dist. That comes
under southern part of the dist. Shahapur taluka is close to Bhiwandi and
Kalyan industrial and urbanized talukas of the same dist. Mumbai-Agra NH.
3 runs through the entire taluka. The Central Railway line also runs though
some of the main villages of the taluka. Nashik and Ahmednagar districts
bound this Taluka.
The taluka has 233 villages and 418 tribal hamlets that
are situated either in the Sahyadri ranges or behind the ranges. Hence health
and education are yet deplorable in the hamlets.
The incessant rainfall during the first few months of
the southwest monsoon in the talukas amounts to nearby 2460 mm. During the
monsoon it becomes very difficult for the most remote padas to access the
roads due top heavy rain and seasonal streams. Luxuriant forest occupies
40% area of the whole taluka.
The main tribes are the Thakurs, Varlis, Katkaris and
Mahadeo Kolis etc. The tribes are socially conservative and are relkuctant
to abandoin their age old customs, traditions and ways of living.
Percentage of literacy is about 25 to 30 in the talukas
of the whole dist. Literacy rate is very worst in the tribal padas. The majority
trebles are dependent on the daily wages and seasonal occupation. The main
crops are Paddy, Nagali (Ragi), Vari and pulses.
They have small plots of land on the slopes of the hills
and ranges here they cultivate above-mentioned crops. They do not possess
any technical skills for survival. The Taluka has sandy black soil, which
is most suitable forpaddy cultivation and horticulture.
Due to lack of proper diet and safe drinking water, the
health of children is very poor. The children are found malnourish, suffering
from boils, scabies, diarrhea, worms and vitamin deficiencies.(page –2)
Analysis of the existing problem:
The tribal women of the proposed operation area are most
vulnerable. Their lives are linked to oppression related to caste, religion,
patriarchy and age-old customs. The constraints arising from these factors
take different forms. The most common manifestations are-
Low mobility of women and low literacy rates among women, Unemployment.
Lack of social/political economic choices and communities for women.
In all tribal hamlets, the ole priority of women is the
survival of their families. Traditionally, tribal women were able to scrape
though their survival with meager income/resources available in the area.
The social and economic changes of the country have created instability among
the tribals for their survival. Besides, new paradigms of development have
proved as a curse for development of the marginalized women since they are
illiterate, backward and far away from new technology, information and resources.
Few families of the tribals are dependent on the mall
plots of land that produce the inadequate quantity due to ancient farming
practices and low investment of the capital. The survival of the majority
families is dependent on daily wages, which are extremely poor in the operation
area. The male members of the tribal families are heavy drinker and unable
to think for the betterment of their families. The vicious circle of poverty,
ignorance and fear of the government officials has still kept the tribal
women miles away from development.
In the absence of adequate means of employment and survival,
they are heavily dependent on the non-tribal population who can provide them
with menial employment on daily wages basis. This work, however is available
only during the monsoon, agriculture season lasting for a period of just
4 to 5 months. From mid-June to mid-November their search for subsistence
employment begins. Sporadic employment in the area during the lean season
does not even fetch them two meals a day. Under such circumstances, the tribals
have no options to leave their respective hamlets and migrate to distant
places in search of employment for a period of 6 to 7 months from mid November
to May-June.
The failure of the state machinery to provide the basic
facilities and infrastructure hassled to an increase in Infant and Child
Mortality rate. In this decade the situation of children in the operation
area has been very worst. A number of children have been victims of malnutrition
and wrong provide the community food, sanitation, health, credit, training,
employment etc.
The bureaucratic administrative set-up has been unable
to respond to the miserable realities of the poor tribal women. The government
programmers viz, Integrated Rural Development Programme (IRDP), Development
of Women and Children in Rural Areas (DWCRA), TRYSEM, and Jawahar Rozgar
Yojana etc. have been strongly biased against tribal women in both planning
and implementation of these schemes. The top-down approach of the government
is unable to justify the area needs of the tribal communities.
The above situation clearly indicates the necessity to
organize the tribal women of thirty tribal hamlets though self-helps groups
(SHGS) for their empowerment. (Page-3)
Approach and strategies:
1. Capacity building of the SHGs.
2. Peer learning
3. Advocacy through networking.
4. Selection of animators for formation of SHGs.
5. Using the saving and credit activities as entry points.
6. Initiating social issues such as alcohol addiction,
employment, health, education, forest management, training, problems of adolescent
girls, child labour, pre- and post – natal care etc.
7. Involving the bank officials in opening of the saving
accounts of the saving groups.
8. Approach to the various departments of the government
to implement the schemes in alliance with the groups.
9. Formation of the women’s federation
Objectives of the project:
1. To mobilize, organize and empower the tribal women through
formation of SHGs, education and awareness building.
2. To establish an effective, alternative credit system
for tribal women in the operation area.
3. To enhance the income level of women producers in the
tribal areas by ensuring their higher returns though improved access to credit,
enhanced production skills and access to the market.
4. To build the capacity of women in undertaken activities
contributing to achievement of the above mentioned objectives. This can be
achieved though institutions created collectively and managed by them.(Page-4)
Objectives and activities
OBJECTIVES ACTIVITIES INDICATORS
MONITORING AND EVALUATION
To mobilize, organize and empower the tribal women through formation of SHGs
education and awareness building. Analysis of socio-economic
situation of the tribal padas. Informal meetings with the tribal women to
understand their needs. Selection of animators to form SHGs. Foundation course
of animators for formation of SHGs. Mapping the community resources with
the help of women. Formation of SHGs in the project area. Capacity building
of women's groups. Initiating discussion on child care, pre and post-natal
care, child labour, problems of adolescent girls, training, sanitation etc.
Organise Natch Mela. Demonstration of Proper use of oral Rehydration solution
to prevent the cases of diarrhoea. No of meetings
held with women groups in the padas. No. of foundation courses organised
for animators. No. of SHGs formed in the project area. No.of volunteers trained
to prepare ORS and initiate the depots. Official records
like notes on the socio-eco- situation of the padas. Files of the SHGs formed
in the project area. Programme schedule of the capacity building programmes.
Meeting books of the women groups. Process reports of the organisation. Feedback
from the women groups to knows the issues they discussed in their meetings.
To establish an effective, alternative credit system for tribal women in
operation area. Link up the SHGs with the local banks.
to the women groups about money transactions. Formation of cluster federation
to create their own institutions. Regular meetings of the SHGs. Joint meetings
of the SHGs and bankers. No of groups linked with the banks.
No.of short term training programmes organised for groups to maintain their
money transaction properly. No. of cluster federations formed. No. Of meetings
formed with the bankers. Use of the photocopies of passbooks
of the groups linked up with the banks. Use of process reports. Feedback
from the groups on the money transactions. Use of the records of like programmes
schedules, write-up of the trainings ad training files.(Page-5)
To enhance the income level of women producer in the tribal areas by ensuring
their higher returns through improved access to credit, enhance production
skills and access to market. Initiate internal loaning
in the groups to meet the needs of the groups. Networking with District rural
development project, Mahila Artrhik Vikas Mahamandal, Khadi Gramodyog Kendra
for providing loans and training to groups to set up cottage, small-scale
industries and agricultural-based activities. Organise sale-cum-exhibition
of the products by women at district and taluka level. No.
of women initiated income generating activies. No. of groups trained on goat
& pig-rearing, nursery, bee-keeping, poultry, food processing, sewing
work and use of waste and barren land for horticulture Visits
to the income generating groups. Feedback from women groups, which have their
own units. Use of process reports. Visits to the district rural development
agency to ensure their role in women empowerment.
To build the capacity of women in undertaking activities contributing to
achievement of the above mentioned objectives. This can be achieved through
institutions created collectively and managed by them. Capacity
building of the cluster federations. Special input programme for the committees
of cluster federations. Prepare the cluster federations to approach the govt.
departments to undertake schemes for their development. Visits to the best-practised
projects. No of trainings organised for cluster federation
members. No, of special input programmes organised for the subject committees
of the cluster federations. Records like schedule of training
programmes. Feedback from the subject committees on special input programmes.
Use of process reports.(Page-6)
Proposed outcomes
1. Fifty SHGs of the tribal women would be formed in the
project area.
2. Decrease in Infant and Child mortality rate by initiating
feeding centers for children in conjunction with the Integrated Child Development
Scheme.
3. Empowerment of all officer bearers of SHGs to sustain
the groups.
4. Linkages with Khadi Gramodyog, Zilla parishad, Mahila
Arthik viks Mahamandal and like-minded organizations would be created for
training ands marketing the products of the SHGs.
5. Substantial relations between the govt. officers and
members of SHGs would be evolved to implement the government programmes and
schemes in collaboration with SHGs formed in the project area.
6. Five cluster federations would be formed and registered
with the charity commissioner.
7. Maximum groups would initiate income-generating units
at their hamlets.
8. Seven hundred and fifty members of the groups would
be trained to initiate the group and individual income generating activities.
Basic feature of the groups and cluster federation
A group will have as total strength of 15 to 19 members.
Each group will select President, secretary and Treasurer. The term for these
functionaries would be one year.
The groups will have meetings twice in a month.
Money transaction, loan disbursement and repayment would take place only
at meetings.
Emergency loans for medical and educational purposes will be provided without
meetings, but the borrower must have two persons as his witnesses.
A bank A/C would be opened in the name of the groups.
Members would be eligible for taking loan after 3 months.
Individual passbooks would be issued to all the members.
The groups will decide the rate of interest.
9 to 10 groups would form a cluster federation. Each cluster federation wil
be a registered body.(page-7)
Monitoring and reporting system.
The project will monitor though monthly reports received from the project
staff. The project coordinator will get regular feedback through such reports,
identify bottlenecks in the implementation of the project and take suitable
actions to increase effectively and efficiency. The monthly meetings between
the project coordinator, supervisor and animators will facilitate sharing
of work experience and review of the work. The quarterly, semi-annual and
annual process reports will be submitted to the funding agency.
Evaluation system
This proposal for grant is for a period of 3 years. At the end of the 2nd
year the project may be evaluated by the funding agency and based on this
evaluation a decision to continue funding for another 2 years may be taken.
However, it is felt that the project requires a 3-year period in order to
be able to achieve its objectives.(Page-8)
Phase plan for implementation.
Ist phase-
During this phase, the project staff would be meeting the tribals in the
project area. In these meeting, issues pertaining to their daily livers would
be discussed. In the course of discussion, the staff would identify the women
those who are potential leaders. Once the staff members are convinced that
such people would be able to play the role of animators, the staff would
discuss their roles with people selected as animators for formation of the
SHGs.
A five-day training programme would be organized for animators at the taluka
level. An inputs sessions on how to form and manage SHGs and the structure
and philosophy of SHGs, will be conducted. The training programme would be
process-oriented and participatory rather than instructive. The project at
this level would have a cadre of trained animators, in a ratio of 1 of 10
tribal hamlets.
After the training the animators would go back to their respective hamlets
to initiate the process of the group formation. By the end of this phase,
all animators would form 10 groups in their areas. Maximum groups would be
linked with these groups.
IInd phase-
In the beginning of this phase, a five-day basic training programme for the
SHGs functionaries would be organized. A process of linking up the SHGs with
the bank would continue for this phase also. The business development officer
would meet the groups to understand the potentials of the groups to organize
the income generating programmes.
Training programmes on income-generating activities would be organised in
alliance with DISTRICT RURAL DEVELOPMENT AGENCY, MAHILA ARTHIK VIKAS MAHAMANDAL,
KHADI GRAMODHYOG and like-minded organizations.
The govt. officials from the block and district level will be invited to
enlighten the SHGs on training and loan schemes for SHGs.
Five-day basic training programmes for all SHGs functionaries would be organized
by end of this phase.
Horizontal linkages would be established among the main functionaries of
all SHGs for formation of the cluster federations.
IIIrd phase-
The process of organizing the training of productive assets would continue.
Emphasis on this phase would be on setting up entrepreurial activities of
the groups.
Five cluster federations would be formed and registered by the end of this
phase.
Maximum 50 community structures i.e. SHGs would come up for socio-economic
development of the communities.
The cluster federations would also negotiate with the government departments
to implement and undertake need-based programmes.
At the end of this phase, the organization will slowly move out and play
the role of an advisor.(page-9)
Budget for the project
Particulars Year Year Year
Honorariums
Project Coordinator@Rs.3000/pm x 1 x12 36,000
36,000 36,000
Micro business development officer@Rs.4000/pm x 1 x 12 ---
48,000 48,000
Animators @Rs. 800/pm x 5 x 12 48,000 48,000
48,00
Sub total Rs. 84,000 1,32,000
1,32,000
Programmes
Environment building @Rs.5000/pm x 6 months 30,000
- -
Animators training 5,000 5,000
5,000
Training material 5,000 5,000
5,000
Capacity building of shgs functionaries ---
1,00,000 ---
Capacity building of cluster federations -----
------ 54,000
Visit to the best practiced projects ------
------- 50,000
Celebration of women’s day ------ 25,000
25,000
Material development on the women issues 10,000
------ -----
Natch meal traditional dance of tribals 15,000
15,000 15,000
Sub total Rs. 65,000 1,55,000
1,49,000
Administration
Telephone, postage and printing 8,000 8,000
8,000
Traveling of the staff 36,000 36,000
36,000
Miscellaneous 12,000 12,000
12,000
Sub total Rs, 56,000 56,000
56,000
Capital expenses
Computer with printer 30,000 -------
------
Furniture and fixture 5,000 ------
-----
Two wheeler 30,000 ------
------
Sub total Rs. 65,000
Grand total Rs. 9,50,000/
Grand required Rupees Nine laces fifty thousand only for three years.
US. $ Equivalent at Rs.48/=1 US $.
US. $ Required for three years =19,791(page-10)