A Role Model – Firbai

Village Bharka is 15 km away from kasdol block. This small village is having app 432 population in 87 households. 60% house hold belongs to schedule tribe, followed by 26% OBC and 01% schedule cast. This village is also selected for sustainable livelihood programme through various interventions and project activities. In order to strengthen and empower women from poor background, with little or no education formation of the self-group is one of the strategies.

03 SHG groups are formed in the village. Most women in self-help groups are found to be relatively young, completed only primary education and came from socially disadvantaged communities. The occupation of most of the women in self-help groups was agriculture. Before joining the self-help groups, their average income was less than Rs.2000. Most of them joined self-help groups for family support. But in case of phirbai it was different. Phirbai is a single woman was surviving on whatever produce she us to get from her small pieces of 2-acre land. Due to family dispute, she stays separately from her son. Being single women, she has to manage all the work both in the house and in the field. In her words “This is not easy, but to survive one has to go all through this”. During organisation interventions in Bharka, in 2018 she was selected as a treasurer in Durga mahila kisan samuha. (SHG). She has played very important role to form and to strengthen this group. She helps to call other members for meeting, does sitting arrangements for them, and for conducting continuous SHG meetings.

If group secretary or president gives any work related SHG she, does it without any complain. She always stands to help other members of the group in any situation. Due her strong and helping nature she is favourite among the members. They do not hesitate to ask help from her. In 2020 two SHGs received support for back yard poultry. Durga SHG was one of them. Like any other shg members Phirbai also received 5 hens under agriculture allied activities to support livelihood. Knowing the importance of this additional livelihood support Phirbai took good care of them. After some time, she herself accessed market and by selling them she has earned 4,500/- Rs additional income. This has inspired other members to take interest in back yard poultry. Their eating habits been improved. By intaking of eggs, chicken in meals. It seems now they do not need to spend extra income.

Various timely capacity building trainings and inputs has helped her to acquire new skills of preparation of bio-pesticides, bio-fertilizer. By learning techniques of organic farming which she applies in her field during agriculture activities and motivates and helps other to do so. She purchases green manure and applies it in her field. To some extent this has improved health of soil of her field. Now she uses indigenous seeds in her field. Her efforts have led to raise paddy production from 6 quintal to 10 quintal. Looking at Phirbai increased production of paddy other farmers of Bharka village have also started to apply green manure in their field.it has increased their savings. On the other hand, she and her group members plays important role in implementing various village development and other project activities. After phirbai’s initiative her group is planning to take loan from bank and wants to start small business. BY raising village issues at panchayat and in gram sabha she has become active member of Gram sabha. Motivation to other women to take part in Gram sabha helped to pass number of resolutions at panchayat level and in Gram sabha. For example, anganwadi for small children, rangmanch for community gathering, etc.

After joining self-help group, she became knowledgeable have developed communication skills. She got decision making skills in the field of agriculture and in other activities in her family. Household income through backyard poultry has increased, Income and saving habits increased. Self-help group have had a major impact on her social and economic life. Seeing all her development and changes her son decided to stay together. United with family she happier, all credits give to organizations interventions.

In case of SHGs organization have focused on these areas-