Women Development

SELF HELP GROUP - SMALL SAVINGS, BIG ACHIEVEMENTS

Women sector and their overall development is yet another mission of Dilasa. Especially rural women are most neglected, exploited and deprived class of the society. Considering their situation, Dilasa felt that, Self Help Group formation, promotion and capacity building remain effective tool for women empowerment. Especially SGHs with thrift and credit serve the purpose of strengthening women. Dilasa is engaged in SHG movement since 25 years. In preliminary stage of SHGs, Dilasa made them habitual for saving the money in bank account.

Already women have habit to save the money in earthen pots, box, cupboard in their homes. But, most of the time, that money was used by menfolk at the time of any domestic problem. Now, the women have understood the importance of saving money in the banks. Presently, the SHGs are not limited upto saving and withdrawal money. Women have started their income-generating activity. Due to SHG movement, women have come together, they learnt bank transactions, became efficient to take the loans. Lending money from any agency is not simple task. Women have to complete their record of SHG and fulfil the documents. Most SHG women are involved in record keeping and documentation; a sign of progress and confidence among women. In 2019-20 year, 30 SHGs have received loans of Rs. 89,10,000/- from NABFINS which is a very reputed, committed financial sister organization of NABARD. After getting loans, women have started the variety of livelihood activities i.e. Grocery shop, xerox centre, beauty parlour, tailoring, milk production, saree shop, food processing, photo studio, cloth shop, water purification unit etc. in their villages. SHGs are proved to be very good tool for economic development. Some of the stories of women are noteworthy.

SHG Success Stories

MAVIM Sahayogini Training on Entrepreneurship Development

Dilasa is the only organisation in Marathwada Region for conducting the Entrepreneurship Development Programme (EDP) for MAVIM Sahayogini’s in Marathwada Region. Under this training programme Aurangabad, Jalna, Parbhani, Hingoli, Beed & Latur Districts are covered. The main focus of the training was on livelihood activity. MAVIM Sahayogini’s have formed SHG’s under Ramai Mahila Sakashmikaran, NABARD & SJSY Programme. To make SHG’s members self sustained & self reliant, different skills were provided to the participants. Not only this it was expected they have to start income generating activities. Hence, several skills were provided through the training. After completion of entrepreneurship development training they have come forward to start income generation activity. Taking into consideration objectives, syllabus was prepared with consultation of experts from different organisations. Experts have tried to include variety of syllabus which is required for promoting the livelihood activities. Through the training entrepreneurship qualities, group discussion with successful entrepreneur, role of entrepreneur, qualities of entrepreneur, pre-training, during the training preparation training & follow up skills were imparted to the participants. Required production skills were imparted through demonstrations. In the training dilasa has tried to impart marketing & communication skills to the sahayogini’s. Under this training programme about 180 Sahayogini’s are covered from the 6 districts of Marathwada Region.

Tejaswini Maharashtra Rural Women Empowerment Programme

Dilasa and MAVIM came together on a common platform to create an opportunity for women to utilize their energy, time, potential and exercise their rights and subsequently get empowered in the process. Women empowerment is not just limited to her but it helps her home, village and society in general. Hence, as a part of empowerment programme; Dilasa and MAVIM with the support of IFAD has conducted Socio-economic and Sub-sectoral Research Study to identify region specific potential livelihood opportunities and enterprises in the four district of Vidarbha region of Maharashtra viz. Akola, Amravati, Chandrapur and Gadchiroli. This study will reveal its findings of potential sub sector and Dilasa and MAVIM will impart Entrepreneurship Development Trainings to women for next 3 years and do hand holding till women create sustainable enterprises.

• Grass root Institution Building: support for 62,675 SHGs together with their federations or other apex organisations.
• Micro-Finance Services: (i) Support for SHG-bank linkages; (ii) Support for MFIs; (iii) Policy dialogue, pilot schemes and action research.
• Livelihoods and Enterprise Development: (Our focus area as LRA) : (i) Livelihood skill development for all SHG members; (ii) Enterprise and market linkages via Business Development Service Centres; (iii) Market and policy support (producer companies, policy dialogue, pilots for new technologies).
• Women’s Empowerment and Social Equity: (i) Gender integration (staff sensitization, studies, policy advocacy); (ii) Enabling Environment (sensitization of men, para-legal training, drudgery reduction investment); (iii) Enhancing women’s capability (functional literacy, orientation for local government, health, hygiene and child care (including HIV/AIDS), family life education for adolescent boys and girls).

Programme management: (i) Support for MAVIM at state and district levels; (ii) M & E.

Adolescent Girls Health Education Programme

"Dilasa" is the only organization in the district, which is a keenly interested in the women development sector. Adolescent age is very crucial period in the life of the girls but due to the iron contain of the tradition, no one takes the care to speak or consult about this sensitive span of the life. It is the age of curiosity as well as the period of different physical and mental changes. It was observed that, the girls were very much anxious about this subject as they asked hundreds of doubts to the trainer. With this short experience, it was a strongly revealed that, there was no system in education, formal or informal to cater the need of the girls passing through the transitional phase of Adolescent.
Incidentally, the organization started the programme with the collaboration of Johnson & Johnson, Mumbai. Its detailed information and menstrual cycle, nutritious diet and the care during this period. Dilasa covered 13161 girls and samples distributed after the training. Dilasa developed material regarding all the physiological changes in a very simple manner. The project coordinator actually gathered girls for this training. The style of training was very simple and scientific. In initial stages the girls were very much shy to attend the trainings but because of communication skill of project coordinator, the girls became free to question many things. Dilasa feel that this is the success of sharing the important information towards adolescent girls. It is interesting to note here that the response for these trainings in rural areas was much better than in urban area. In rural area not only the adolescent girls but their mothers also took lot of interest in listening this training information. This training was not only narrative information but also distribution of the samples to all the participants. Up till now Dilasa is taking follow-up of the trainings conducted by informal way of communication.
Mr. Radhyesham Mopalwar, the Director of GSDA in his visit appreciated the material developed by Dilasa for the training of adolescent girls.

Krishi-Saptak Programme

Dilasa is the only organization in Marathwada region for executing specially women oriented agriculture project in Sillod block of Aurangabad district. Women participation in agriculture development is one of the major schemes in Krishi Saptak Programme. Dilasa is selected as a nodal agency to implement the programme in Sillod block of Aurangabad district. The main objective of this project is to utilize effective participation of women in agriculture development. In order to enhance agriculture productivity and entrepreneurship Dilasa is making out all efforts by conducting various trainings, exposure visits, demonstration, IEC material. Under this programme Dilasa prepared 50 SHGs in 24 villages. Each SHG comprises 20 women members. Initial baseline survey of agriculture activity is conducted. As per their survey and needs training module is finalized. Vermi composting, bio-pest management and composting is the main focus area. After the rigorous trainings some groups are coming forward to start income generation activities based on agriculture. Different demonstrations like tool for marking nut processing, vermin composting, Mexican beetle for parthenium grass eradication, integrated pest management, agricultural processing are given to the SHGs. Exposure visits to agriculture universities, processing plants is organized for rural entrepreneurship. Agriculture information is disseminated through books, magazines, calendars in local and simple language. Dilasa is trying to manage all natural resources available in Sillod block for entrepreneurship development like marking nut processing, maize food products, natural dye making, etc. Annual gathering of 1000 women is arranged namely ‘Mahila Goshti’. This programme helps to build the confidence through sharing of experience among the women.

Empowerment of rural women is the Prime objective of Dilasa, which believes on the four pronged programme of emancipation of women viz. (1) From conventional smoky Chulla, (2) The labourious chore of fetch of water for day-today domestic activities, (3) From the routine chore of plucking fuel for Cooking and Fodder for cattle. (4) Unproductive and exerting manual work in Agril. field and incidental day-to-day activities. Dilasa can be said to be the first to devise and introduce its innovative programme, first of its kind in A’bad, smokeless chullas through it’s Rural Technology Park. DILASA Keenly participated in the Common water supply schemes by making the “women centered action plan” and implemented rigorously the watershed project for the conventional fuel for cooking and fodder for cattle stock.

Bahuddeshiya Mahila Kendra

Dilasa Mahila Bahuddheshiya Kendra proved to be a successful model not only in SHG sector but more particularly in the field of co-operatives. The women groups grew naturally on their own without any government support on the background of the usual subsidy culture. On the basis of the experience in DWCRA and SGSY, Dilasa moved forward with the idea of Mahila Bahuddheshiy Kendra which had created the network of 18365 women. Rural Women are most neglected and deprived class of the society. Most of the government schemes also are welfare oriented and not development oriented. Taking into the consideration above fact, Dilasa is trying to improve the status of rural women by adopting integrated development model.

NABARD SHG Bank Linkage Programme

Dilasa implemented SHG Bank linkage programme for Aurangabad, Kannad, Sillod, Soegaon and Gangapur block of Aurangabad also in Nasik, Sinnar and Dindori block of Nasik district before a period of three years. In this connection, NABARD assisted for promotion and linking 450 SHGs in villages from block of Aurangabad district and 50 SHGs from villages from block of Nasik district in total 500 SHGs over a period of three years.