An encouraging boost has been seen among the tribal women member of ASHA Self Help Group (SHG) in Chhattisgarh. This change is due to the ‘Godhan Nyay Yojana’ commenced by the Chhattisgarh Government to give a boost to the rural economy and to create employment opportunities in the rural areas.  

ASHA SHG was constituted under the Caritas India Gram Nirman programme to encourage self-employment and enhance the member’s financial security. Most of the women of this village are poor and illiterate who mainly depend on husband for their daily needs.

Vikas social service society, the local implementing partner united all women and formed SHG but after some time the group members started losing interest and stopped coming together.

Gram Nirman team intervened and reunited the group again in 2019 with specific goals and rules. They started doing monthly savings again on the regular basis and this time they increased monthly saving from 20 rupees to 30 rupees.  

Meanwhile, in July 2020, the state government of Chhattisgarh launched a scheme ‘Godhan Nyay Yojana’ for the rural population of the state. The social scheme aims at generating additional income and increase employment opportunities for the rural population. Gram Nirman team educated ASHA SHG about this scheme, as a result, all these tribal women agreed to work collectively. The SHG group was linked to the block office to execute this scheme in the villages. Initial training was given to the members on the operational part of the scheme. Thereafter these women started collecting cow dung from community people at the rate Rs. 2 per kg. The SHG members keep the record of beneficiaries with the name and quantity of cow dung given by a beneficiary. Later this data is submitted to block office and the amount is credited in beneficiaries account directly by the government every month. 

Other than the community people benefiting, it is also enhancing the economic growth of SHG members. After collection of cow dung, it is gathered in the government-owned cowshed in the village wherein these SHG women are preparing VERMICOMPOST out of it. Further, this vermicompost is procured by government from this SHG at the rate of 8 to 10 per kg. and the money is credited to SHG account. Later this vermicompost fertilizer will be distributed to farmers by the government through Agriculture, horticulture department during the time of plantation and cultivation. 

Hence, this scheme has brought financial growth in the life of these tribal women and moreover, has generated long term employment for the group. The received amount after selling vermicompost, the members divide some part of amount among themselves and some portion keep in the account as saving. 

Ms. Savitri Chuahan president of ASHA SHG says, “Facilitation by Gram Nirman program, made easy to access this scheme for us otherwise several schemes come and go but we never get benefitted from it because of its complicated processes and our lack of awareness about them.”

Now we are not much dependent on our husband for money, we have money in our pocket for daily need through this scheme as well a sustained guarantee for employment.   

The ASHA self-help group has become a change agent and role model for other three SHG groups in the Project area as a result these SHG groups have also taken up the task.