Village Upliftment Programme 18-Month Update Vasanthanadai, Tamil Nadu, India
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Village Upliftment Programme 18-Month update Vasanthanadai, Tamil Nadu, India Tailoring Training to the villagers Submitted to Pharmarelations AB Submitted By Hand in Hand India August 2020 Introduction Address: Hand in Hand India, SEED Trust Training Centre, Nasarathpet Village, Opp Pachayappa’s Men’s College, Little Kancheepuram, Kancheepuram District 631 503, Tamil Nadu, India Phone: +91-44-420 293 60 • Fax: +91-44-272 693 01E-mail: [email protected] • Web: www.hihindia.org Thank you for your support of Vasanthanadai Panchayat. Please find below the 18-month report covering successful stories of people benefiting from Hand in Hand India’s (HIH India) interventions as well as challenges in implementing the programme. Empowering people Vasanthanadai is situated in Anaicut block of Vellore district in Tamil Nadu. Eighteen months ago, HIH India introduced the Village Upliftment Programme-VUP in the panchayat. Since its launch, the VUP has implemented interventions in the areas of self-help-group and microfinance, and Child Labor Elimination Program (CLEP). The integrated development approach has not only brought out a progressive change but has also laid the path for a better quality of life for villagers in Vasanthanadai Panchayat. Women Empowerment and Job Creation Poverty affects women and children the most. Illiterate poor women in rural India have, for long, confined themselves to the conventional way of life — household chores, working as labourers, or assisting in family-based enterprises. By forming self-help groups and providing affordable microcredit they are now away from the web of poverty in Hand in Hand India’s self-help groups (SHGs) and microfinance programme has helped poor women emerge from a cocoon existence and carve out an identity of their own. With the backing of the microfinance programme, women have received business training, and enterprise creation initiatives and marginalised women have emerged as change agents in their communities. Based on the need, Hand in Hand India also conducts skill training to self-help group women. For many women, the SHG programme has given them the life of hope, dignity, and choice. Women receive microfinance loan to create and strengthen their family based enterprises and some women were linked with banks to receive loans. A Petty Shop Crafted The Path For A Big Dream! Address: Hand in Hand India, SEED Trust Training Centre, Nasarathpet Village, Opp Pachayappa’s Men’s College, Little Kancheepuram, Kancheepuram District 631 503, Tamil Nadu, India Phone: +91-44-420 293 60 • Fax: +91-44-272 693 01E-mail: [email protected] • Web: www.hihindia.org Life has never been a bed of roses for many. Saraswathi, aged 48 is no exception to this phrase. She was born in a family, who struggled a lot to make ends meet. Hailing from Vasanthanadai, this ambitious woman is an example of how strong will and determination can lead to success. She lives with her Saraswathi in her petty shop husband and two children. Her husband is engaged in farming, which does not yield much to run the family. This was a crucial time for her since she had to take care of her two children. So she decided to think outside the box and look for ways to generate some additional income. Being an active member of Bhavani SHG of Hand in Hand India, she was able to avail a loan of INR 30,000 to start her own petty shop. Now, she makes about INR 15,000/- per month through her petty shop enterprise. She sells all types of essentials that come as a blessing in disguise for the village people, who otherwise had to travel far to buy things. Being an empathetic person, she gives credit to those in need. With a thankful heart, Saraswathi says, “I never thought I could run a shop on my own. I was skeptical at first; nevertheless I was determined to give it a try. Now, I am satisfied that I can support my husband in some way. I have plans on expanding my petty shop in the future. I am grateful to Hand in Hand India for this timely support” Address: Hand in Hand India, SEED Trust Training Centre, Nasarathpet Village, Opp Pachayappa’s Men’s College, Little Kancheepuram, Kancheepuram District 631 503, Tamil Nadu, India Phone: +91-44-420 293 60 • Fax: +91-44-272 693 01E-mail: [email protected] • Web: www.hihindia.org Small Investment Big Profit – The success story of Ranjani Ranjani, aged 48 is a hardworking woman who hails from Vasanthanadai village. She belongs to Muthumani SHG of Hand in Hand India. Just like every other woman in the village, she relies solely on her husband’s income for running the family. Her husband, Sankar is a retired army serviceman. The pension amount that he received was insufficient to handle the sudden expenses the family had to incur. To cope with the increasing expenses, Ranjani had to think of other ways to yield some income to support the family. To put her plan into action, she decided to start backyard poultry farming. She availed a loan of INR 30,000 for starting her own small chicken farm. Her hard work finally paid off as she was able to gain an income of INR 20,000 by selling meat, chicken and eggs on a seasonal basis. Ranjani in her poultry Farm When asked about her amazing journey, Ranjani replies, “I was just like everyone else, cocooned within the four walls of the house. But then, I wanted to do something different and took this path to gain success. I owe my heartfelt gratitude to Hand in Hand India for aiding me in my time of need” Address: Hand in Hand India, SEED Trust Training Centre, Nasarathpet Village, Opp Pachayappa’s Men’s College, Little Kancheepuram, Kancheepuram District 631 503, Tamil Nadu, India Phone: +91-44-420 293 60 • Fax: +91-44-272 693 01E-mail: [email protected] • Web: www.hihindia.org Sowing the Seeds of Fortune It is an undeniable fact that the women of today are chartering unknown boundaries in a quest for success. Being a tough survivor by nature, women have always succeeded in everything they put their mind and heart into. One such motivating story of transformation comes from the village of Vasanthanadai. Mohana Priya, 35 years old is an active Mohana Priya in her Jasmine Field member of Myna SHG of Hand in Hand India. Her husband, Palani is a farmer by profession. Both faced a lot of hardship as the income generated could not suffice the growing needs of the family. Having two children to take care of, Mohana Priya wanted to lend a helping hand to support her husband. It was at this time, she seeked help from Hand in Hand India and availed a loan of INR 50,000 for cultivating jasmine flowers (50 cents). She now sells jasmine flowers for INR 30 to 40 per kg and makes INR 5000/month. The amount she gains from the yield has helped her run the family smoothly without any hassle. With a joyful heart, Mohana says, “Life had been difficult for our family as we did not get the anticipated income through farming. Now, with the support of Hand in Hand India, I am able to yield a profitable income through flower cultivation. I warmly render my gratitude to the organization for their valuable and timely support” Address: Hand in Hand India, SEED Trust Training Centre, Nasarathpet Village, Opp Pachayappa’s Men’s College, Little Kancheepuram, Kancheepuram District 631 503, Tamil Nadu, India Phone: +91-44-420 293 60 • Fax: +91-44-272 693 01E-mail: [email protected] • Web: www.hihindia.org Leveraging Income through Goat Rearing Vanitha, aged 28 is an inspiration to other women in her village. She is an active member of Vazhaga Valamudan SHG. Unlike others who rely on their husbands for support, she decided to be different and lend a helping hand to him. A humble mother of three children, Vanitha had experienced many hurdles in her life. Her husband, Selvamani Vanitha with her goats works as a daily wage labor. With the amount in hand, it was a herculean task to support the family. To make things better, she availed a loan of INR 30,000 from Hand in Hand India for buying four goats. She takes good care of the goats by feeding them only the best food. She sells the goats to nearby vendors for meat and other purpose. Through this, she makes about INR 7000 to 10000 based on the demand from the buyers. She plans on starting her own goat farm in the future and earn a profitable income. “Life is tough when you have a big family to support. Earlier, it was difficult for us to run the family as my husband could make only a small amount from the labor work. Now, with the support of Hand in Hand India, I am able to support my husband and my family. I thank them for aiding me in my time of need” Address: Hand in Hand India, SEED Trust Training Centre, Nasarathpet Village, Opp Pachayappa’s Men’s College, Little Kancheepuram, Kancheepuram District 631 503, Tamil Nadu, India Phone: +91-44-420 293 60 • Fax: +91-44-272 693 01E-mail: [email protected] • Web: www.hihindia.org Financial Gearing through Cow Rearing! Sumathi (38), who belongs to Vasanthanadai village, is a member of Myna self-help group run by Hand in Hand India. She lives with her husband, Elumalai who is a farmer by profession. Due to seasonal changes, the yield was less which resulted in low income.