Self-Help Groups: SHG's & MAC's Introduction: - Self-Help Groups (SHGs) run by sanghams (community associations) have drastically changed the lives of the Dalits. They used to pawn their possessions for meager amounts, but now every Dalit boasts savings. The sanghams started conducting awareness programs so that the poor were not duped and exploited by moneylenders. These sanghams have saved over 14 million rupees.

NASA has formed more than 3600 SHG groups consisting of 15 women in each group. NASA works to form sanghams while encouraging savings and giving an equal amount to the sangham's seed finance fund. In the same manner, the government provides funds for self-sustainable programs for women's groups under the Velugu (Light) scheme.

Mutually Aided Cooperative Society (MACS)

NASA has studied the successful Grameen Bank in Bangladesh and started a similar program called MACS (Mutually Aided Cooperative Societies). Under this program, Dalit women and other less privileged women get development funding.

Poverty is the main cause of sexual exploitation of women in rural areas and slums. Women go to the rich to borrow money. The rich then demand a high rate of interest or pressure them for sex. As a result, the number of illegitimate children is on the rise. To break this evil practice, NASA is establishing MACS to rescue the women from exploitation.

Training camp for SHGs

NASA has so far helped women to register 3 MACS groups and they are now able to lend money to their members. They are disbursing about 6 million rupees. The loans have served for a variety of purposes such as food security, healthcare and children's education. The best use of these micro-loans is for setting up small enterprises. The names of the small enterprises are given here below.

 

 

 

 

1. Vegetable Vending, 2. Fish Business, 3. Toys Selling, 4. Goats Diary, 5. Dry Fish Selling, 6. Recyclable Plastic Materials, 7. Small Kitchen Gardens, 8. Fruits Business, 9. Flowers, Garlands and Bouquet Selling, 10. Bamboo Baskets making 11. Instant leaf plate making. 12. Door to door Clothes selling, 13. Tea stall, 14. Tanning business, 15. Palm fiber, 16. Rice business, 17. Shell lime Units, 18. Incense sticks making, 19, Candle Making, 20. Fruit Juice Point, 21. Diary Milk, 22. Tailoring, 23. Photo lamination.

Statistical view of MACS ( Mutual Aided Co-Operative Society )

S.no.	Mandal	Registered / Un- Registered	No. of Groups Formed	No. of Women involved	People contribution	Financial Assistance from NASA	Total
1	TUNI	REG.	101	1010	4,04,000	15,40,000	19,44,000
2	THONDANGI	REG.	135	1350	5,40,000	15,50,000	20,90,000
3	KOTANANDURU	REG.	82	820	3,28,000	13,50,000	16,78,000
4	U.KOTHAPALLI	UN-REG.	25	250		6,00,000	6,00,000
5	NAKKAPALLI	UN-REG.	14	140	56,000	2,00,000	2,56,000
6	NATHAVARAM	UN-REG.	17	170	68,000	2,00,000	2,68,000
7	RAMBILLI	UN-REG.	18	180	72,000	2,20,000	2,92,000
8	YELAMANCHILI	UN-REG.	15	150	60,000		60,000
9	PAYAKARAOPETA	UN-REG.	11	110	44,000	1,10,000	1,54,000
	TOTAL		418	4180	15,72,000	57,70,000	73,42,000

MUDUGU JAYA LAKSHMI - From the clutches of poverty to sustainable development

MUDUGU JAYA LAKSHMI - A.K. MALLAVARAM VILLAGE
A Success Story

M. Jaya Lakshmi, a mother of three, was deserted by her husband more than 20 years ago. She could only do agricultural labor to feed herself and the family and educate her children. Lakshmi attended a motivational camp conducted by NASA and then started a SHG with 10 members of her village, Mallavaram.

The group pooled 25,000 rupees. NASA staff then helped Lakshmi get a loan of 10,000 rupees from the bank and a further 30,000 rupees from the MACS. With this, she started a small general store in the village. She was then able to support her children's colege education.

Lakshmi was eventually made the president of the Village Organization (a federation of all the SHGs in the village including those of other castes). The change in her status is also evident from her self-confidence and her joy in living a responsible life.

SIVAKOTI VIJAYA LAKSHMI - small business to sustainable development

 

 

 

 

 

SIVAKOTI VIJAYA LAKSHMI - KRISHNAPURAM VILLAGE
A Success Story

S. Vijaya Lakshmi of Krishnapuram village is a longtime member of an SHG, which as group leader she enrolled into the Adarsha MACS. NASA helped her to get a loan of 40,000 rupees from the MACS, and a further amount of 60,000 rupees from the bank through the SHG.

With this money she started a small cooking provisions store (Kirana shop) and fancy goods store. After two succesful years, she bought for her husband a light motorcycle which he modified to carry considerable loads of goods from wholesalers, thereby reducing transport costs and increasing her ability to get goods on demand.

This has improved her credibility in the village and in the eyes of her family.

KILLI SEETA - TALLURU VILLAGE
A Success Story

Benificiary : Killi Seeta

Killi Seetha and her husband Appala Naudu have two sons. One was a daily wage labourer and the other was mentally challenged. The family was illiterate. The father and elder son used to go for seasonal labour work to support the family. They also leased land to cultivate vegetables and sell them in Tuni. They also own half an acre of land on hill slopes where they grow cashew nuts, earning them about Rs.4000 per year. Seetha joined the saving scheme programme and saved some money. The family took a loan from MACS of Rs.5000 and another loan from the Bank of Rs. 20,000 and bought dairy cattle. Now they are able to pay back the debts with the profit that they are making on the dairy milk business. Seeta has become the leader of Vinayaka MACS group. She has constructed her own house and is living an exemplary life for other women in the village. Through NASA the family have learned the tricks of the trade. They are motivated to educate their children. Now, they feel that they are in a new world where they are dignified and respected by the people around them.

CHINTALA SIMHACHALAM - KOTANANDURU VILLAGE
A Success Story

Beneficiary : Chintala Simhachalam

Ms. Chintala Simhachalam is a resident of Kotananduru village and Mandal. She has two children and her husband died of a viral fever when the children were young. She became an agricultural labourer to support her family and educate her children. One day NASA staff arranged a training programme on MACS. She attended this training programme and got motivated by the staff of NASA and decided to join the MACS programme. She joined as a member of MACS group and took a loan of Rs.10,000 from MACS and started a flower vending business at thye Kotananduru bus stand. She has strengthened her family with the profit that she makes from this business. Now she is able to stand on her own feet and her children are getting educated. She is thankful to NASA and MACS groups for supporting her financially and emotionally.

VADLAMURI SUSEELA - KOTHA KOTTAM VILLAGE
A Success Story

Beneficiary : Vadlamuri Suseela

Ms. Vadlamuri Suseela is a resident of K. Kottam village of Katananduru Mandal. She studied up to matriculation and got married and had two children. But her husband fell sick and could not support the family and so she became an agricultural labourer. When NASA staff visited her village, she told them her family problems and poor economic condition. NASA visited a bank and explained her situation. The bank manager responded to NASA's staff by sanctioning a loan of Rs.40,000 to start a Xerox and cool drinks business. In addition to the bank’s loan, MACS also gave Rs.10,000 as a loan to develop her business. She gradually improved her business and her family's situation. Now, her children are getting educated and her sickly husband is given medical assistance with the profit that she makes from the business. NASA did not withdraw its support at this point but trained her to be a good leader in the MACS groups. With the inspiration of NASA's director, she has emerged as a “Panchayt Sarpanch” (president of several villages). Now she is grateful that NASA has lifted herself out of the clutches of poverty and become a dynamic political leader.

 

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