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 Vijayan
Neha Mahila Swayam Sahayata Samooh, Adhyaksh, Deepak
Mahila Gram Sangathan, member; Pavitra Mahila Block
Sangathan, member, Village Teri
Before the samooh came to our village,
we had no help. My son fell sick and I had to beg people
for help but nothing happened. I had to pawn our field
and take money from the mahajan at 5 percent interest.
Then we joined the samooh and we started saving. Within
a few months we had saved about Rs 3,000.
I am illiterate so I was very nervous that someone might
take away the money. But then I was told at the bank
that that cannot happen and the money can only be taken
out after signature. I also began to memorise the
numbers and get my son to write them down in the
register.
Then we started lending and we first lent Rs 500 and got
Rs 10 as interest. When we lent Rs 10,000 we got Rs 200
as interest. We got a CCL of Rs 50,000, then we got
interest from the money we loaned from this amount. I
have done business of about Rs 4 lakh, without
education. When we got a CCL of Rs 4 lakh, we loaned Rs
1 lakh to seven sisters. The mahajan who used to earlier
tell me that he can’t lend me money even at 10 percent
interest because I had no land or jewellery to pawn,
today comes to me to borrow money.
The bank manager really gives me respect. Once when the
samooh money was falling short by Rs 10,000, he lent me
the amount from his personal account, which we returned
as soon as possible. I tell other women that if I can
run a samooh being illiterate then they can do a much
better job. |
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 Rani
Devi Kaushalya
Member, Kajal Swayam Sahayata Samooh, Jagdishpur
Before the samooh, I didn’t do
anything, know anything. Then a relative came and told
me about RGMVP. The Community Volunteer came and spoke
to us and got our account opened. We did regular lending
and borrowing. Then after sometime, the Community
Volunteer told us that is any of us wanted to start a
stitching centre, we could be trained. I enrolled, so
did some other women. I trained for six months and then
started work from home. I bought an adda and have six or
seven girls working with me. We stitch and do
embroidery. We make lehngas and chunnis, which are taken
to Delhi to be sold. What we earn is distributed among
the girls who worked on that piece. I have also bought a
peeko machine from my earnings. |
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 Sulaima
Khatoon
Koshahyaksh, Ali Mahila Swayam Sahayata Samooh,
Village Parsadepur
Before the samooh was formed three
years ago, we had no money and no way to earn it. But in
the group, we are united – we can solve our own
problems. With a loan from the samooh, I took a field on
hire, grew vegetables on it and earned good money. Now I
do this regularly. When I need money for seeds, or to
hire a field, I borrow from the samooh and return it
when I sell the vegetables/crop. Now we think that we
must make our group stronger, make use all the schemes
that come to us. Earlier we used to scared that if the
savings that we made with such difficulty might
disappear – but now we are confident. Earlier we didn’t
even know the way to the bank but now we have regular
dealings. After joining the samooh, we have started
thinking of our future, our mind has improved and we
have gained knowledge. We want to take this forward, and
inshah allah, we will. |
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 Asha
Devi Pal
Durga Swayam Sahayata Samooh, member; Deepak Mahila
Gram Sangathan, Adhyaksh; Pavitra Mahila Block Sangathan,
Koshadhyaksh, Village Teri
When the women first asked me to join
the samooh, did not come under their control for some
time. I though it was useless to attend meetings, so I
used to just send the money. Then after one year, the
samooh collected enough money and loans became available
when they were needed. I then started to go for the
meetings. I borrowed Rs 10,000 once to buy a cow, Rs
30,000 another time to free our field which had been
pawned, and Rs 30,000 again to buy a cow.
Then our gram sangathan was formed. A few months ago,
the field next to ours was being sold. We decided to buy
it. My husband was very worried because we had just Rs 1
lakh and the field was for Rs 2 lakh. He asked me that
since I was always running around attending meetings,
would I be able to get money from the samooh. So I said
yes and asked how much money he needed. He said Rs 1
lakh, which I promised to get. He also said that if I
got the money he would buy the field in my name. After
15 days or so, the MCP was done and I took the money and
gave it to my husband. So this one beegha of land was
bought in my name. If the samooh had not been there, the
land would have been bought in the family’s name. Now I
know the power of the samooh – ask me to go to Andhra
Pradesh or Orissa for a meeting now, my family will not
stop me. They also respect the strength of the samooh. |
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