Project Parivarthan, funded by HDFC, has been a transforming force in the lives of sidelined women in a village called Hussaini in Uttar Pradesh. Nine gritty middle-aged members of Shri Ji SHG, most of them school dropouts and bound to their home and hearth, are hungering today to expand their enterprise. Sarita Brara has the story
Time was, when Hussaini, like many other villages of Uttar Pradesh’s Mathura District, did not allow women into the chaupal – the traditional gathering place where men interact socially, make decisions and carry out community activities. But times have changed, thanks to the aptly-named Project Parivarthan (change). Hussaini’s women are now not only present at the chaupals, but are entrepreneurs in their own right.
The winds of change were set off when the SM Sehgal Foundation did a survey, and found scope for Shri Ji, a self-help group (SHG) already working in the area, to expand its activities from encouraging savings among women and making loans available for them, into a revenue-generating enterprise using locally-available raw material. Active members of Shri Ji were taken to a mustard-expeller unit started by another SHG that had earned a name for itself. The idea was to see if starting such an enterprise would interest the women. They were indeed fired with a determination to do something similar, as mustard was abundantly available.
was installed. The women were provided tools and hands-on training to operate the machine.
SHG President Kavita offered space for putting up a structure for the mustard expeller unit, and other members who could afford to do so, invested totally around Rs two lakh to demonstrate their commitment. With the Foundation’s help, an expeller machine worth more than Rs seven lakh was installed. In addition to the funds for essential machinery, the women were provided tools and hands-on training to operate the machine. They were also taught record-keeping, accounting, packaging and marketing. The aim was to create a sustainable model for income-generation, skill-building and strengthening of the community. Each SHG member now has a job, ranging from book-keeping, packaging and working on the machine to marketing the product.
Explaining the challenges the SHG faced, the Foundation’s Senior Programme Lead Naveen Pratap Singh said once the structure was ready, a three-phase commercial electricity connection was needed. The group members, with the help of the village pradhan (chief), got this done, and the unit started production. But soon, another hurdle came up – voltage fluctuations caused the 5HP motor of the expeller to burn out. The members contributed over Rs one lakh from the SHG savings as well as personal funds to install a stabiliser to prevent further such mishaps.
Most of the women of Hussaini have moved to the village from various places in neighbouring Rajasthan, post-marriage. They procured mustard at prices a little lower than the market rates, from their native villages, as raw material for oil extraction. Shri Ji treasurer Preeti says that since production started nearly two years ago, the group has been able to market 250 quintals of oil with the brand name, Shri Ji.
Apart from getting free oil, the members get Rs 300 a day. While active members are able to earn Rs 11,000 to 13,000 a month, others who put in three to four hours earn Rs 5000 to Rs 6000. Instead of distributing the profits amongst themselves, the SHG decided to reinvest the funds and expand their activities.“However, if some member requires funds for any exigency, she is given the money,” clarifies Preeti. And now, the women have set up a flour mill as well.“We are not only producing oil and marketing it ourselves, we are extracting oil for farmers from nearby villages too. At our flour mill, we also grind wheat and other grains, and earn more money,” says Preeti.
Kavita lost her husband just as the project was about to take off. But she did not let the personal tragedy deter her from playing a proactive role in the setting up of the unit. “Just because I have lost my husband does not mean that I will not educate my children the way we would have done if my husband was alive,” she asserts. While her two daughters are doing their graduation, her son is studying in a Navodaya School.
“It was not easy for women like us to convince our in-laws to allow us to engage in an activity other than household chores or looking after cattle, but once we started earning, there was a change in the attitude of our in-laws as well as the village community. There’s no longer any objection to our entering the chaupal,” Preeti notes.
Having tasted success, these nine gritty middle-aged members of Shri Ji SHG, most of them school dropouts and bound to their home and hearth, are hungering today to expand their enterprise. Parivartan, funded by the HDFC, has brought about a real change in their lives, capitalising on their determination and dedication. Their standard of living has improved, and their social standing has been enhanced thanks to their will power, confidence and leadership qualities.
(The writer is a senior journalist who divides time between Delhi and Shimla.)
from Webdoux