Women Empowerment

A Self Help Group (SHG) is an informal village-based association comprising of 10 to 20 local women. Many non-profit
organisations are doing a number of projects for rural development in India. One of the most effective projects for rural development is to help village women for forming SHG. Being well aware of the fact that Self Help Group is the best engine for women Empowerment., the Young Buddhist Student Literacy Mission has started this project in Feb 09. The Mission has the mission of rural development. To make rural development the Self Help Group is the only way for upliftment of rural women. There are many successed stories of village women after forming Self Help Group. Initiallly the Self Help Group members will have to deposit Rs. 10.00 for membership fees, and Rs. 10.00 for their saving weekly after becoming a member. After three months later the needy members can apply for micro credit loan. This program enables the village women to do some small scale business depending on their market availibility. According to Mrs. Rakhi Bibi, she is very happy now because her livelyhood improves day by day after availing micro credit loan from the Mission. She is just vegetable seller, earning at least Rs. 100 to 150 per day. Earlier she was just house-wife with three children. Her husband, a bus driver, cannot support the family properly with less income. Like Rakhi Bibi, there are many women who are very actively engaged in SHG of the Mission. After learning all factors in the field, the Mission now decided to explore more engagement of village women. Immediately after starting of this project, the Mission has met with enormous market demand. It is proved that women can do many more in making development of rural area.
Establishment of Self Help Groups for rural poor women becomes the key tool in fulfilling its mission and goals of our Mission.

It is well known fact that poor families cannot approach banks to obtain loans due to many terms and conditions. The terms and conditions imposed by private banks and the very high interest rates practiced by money-lenders bars those on the fringes of society from having access to a minimum of financial resources. However, it is true many women would like to do something by availing a small scale loan to start up an activity which would generate income (shop, workshop, small animal husbandry, etc). However, access to credit is only one step on the long road to recognition of the role of women in Indian society. This initiative is therefore accompanied by proposals for training and discussions on the change of mentality necessary to enable women to find their true place within the community. Subjects dealt with range from conjugal violence to the education of young girls, and in passing, claims to equal heredity rights. More than 780 women, about 60 groups, benefit from this project of the Mission. The Mission has great expection that more women groups will increase day by day.