I am Raziabi Chand. Today my life is happy because of women’s organisation i.e. the SHGs in my village. 

I still remember those days when we people from Musalewadi village of Renapur block of Latur district didn’t have any idea about small savings and credit activities. 

Everybody was busy with his or her daily routine. Women were no different as they used to go to the field and work the whole day. This had become the normal life style of all of us. Nobody was concerned about the joys or sorrows of others. The women used to meet on religious festivals but I didn’t even get this opportunity as I belong to the Muslim community and the place where all the other Muslim families of the village stay is far away from my house.   

One day Mangalabai came to my home and told me that a development worker from Pangaon had come to the village and she was going to tell about savings and credit group activity. She invited me to her place to meet that visitor and keeping all my work aside I went to see her. 

There she explained the concept and importance of savings and credit groups to all of us and told us of the benefits of forming the self-help groups. She told us that the key to happiness was unity and integrity, for which it was necessary for us to share our feelings and experiences with each other and to help and support each other in times of difficulty. 

As a result of her talks we were encouraged to get organized and at that instant itself I paid the Rs 20 that I had earned through stitching to become a member of the SHG. Our group was very particular and strict about savings, rules and regulations and group discipline. We used to conduct meetings on the decided date and time every month. Looking at the activities of our group, three more self-help groups were formed. We all formed a joint committee at the village level (SMS - Samyukta Mahila Samiti) which we named “Savitribai Phule SMS”. We started working together and motivating others too.  

Every thing was going smoothly but then a strange thing happened in my life. Problems between my husband and me were increasing day by day as my husband had decided to remarry. Before this too my husband used to harass me when he used to drink, but now this was more than I could bear. 

I shared my problems with the other members of my SHG, and they also discussed it in the SMS meeting. The women even came home to advise my husband against taking the decision, but he didn’t listen to them.  

Seeing my husband’s attitude, the Committee decided that they needed to take a strong stand in the matter. We started finding out the details about the second marriage, which was arranged at a village named Kharda. We lodged a complaint with the police. On the date of marriage the police arrived Kharda village to arrest my husband. Realizing that the situation was turning against him, my husband started crying and asked for forgiveness.  The woman whom he was to marry also refused to marry him. That day my SHG came to my aid and saved my life from being destroyed. 

Today, I am more in control of my life.  I know I have the strength and support of my group and SMS behind me and I am not afraid of facing the challenges that life has to offer.

My name is Ramchandra Namdeo Zanzad. I was born in Chincholi. My mother died when I was one year old and father died when I was 10 years old. So I could not get any love from my parents. My stepmother looked after me. I had lots of friends in the childhood. I used to go for swimming and play wrestling etc. I studied till 7^th standard in the village itself. Then for 8^th standard I went to Vadzir where I got educated till 11^th standard.  I passed D.Ed. from the Education Societies College at Ahmednagar. I am the only son of my parents. I have one sister; she is married in this village. Her name is Kondabai Hiraman Bhagat. 

I got married very early in 1973 in the village named Vadner. At that time I was 22 years old and my wife Shalubai was 15 years old. She is my maternal uncle’s daughter. I got dowry of Rs. 200 in the marriage; it was a lot of money for that time. 20 bullock carts full of people went from my village for my marriage. My marriage was celebrated on a big scale. 

I have 4 daughters and one son. Three of my daughters are married. First daughter Sunanda was educated till 7^th standard and lives in this village itself. Second daughter Sangeeta was educated till 6^th standard and is married in the village Parner. Third daughter Asha was educated till 7^th standard and is married off in the village Nighoj. Fourth daughter Manisha is studying in the 7^th standard and son Pandurang is studying in the 11^th standard at Parner.

I have 7.5 acres of land. We are into agriculture since many generations so getting in to it was not difficult for me. Even if I am educated till D.Ed., I did not take any job. I gave preference to agriculture. In the beginning our land was uncultivated because there was nobody to look after it. But I worked very hard and developed the land. I dug a well in the land and laid a pipeline.  Presently I have 6 acres of irrigated land and my income per year is about Rs. 100,000 if rains are proper. Now we are satisfied, this year we have constructed a good house. It has cost us Rs. 80,000. In the past we were in a very bad condition. In the draught of 1972 my wife and I have worked as labourers at the nala bunding work. At that time we used to get Rs. 3 per day. No youth of these days can work as hard as we did. We worked hard but we will not make our son work that hard, we are going to educate him. I wish that he should do a job in the military. 

The happiest moment in my life is, when I have planted onion in my land and I sold them in Bangalore. At that time I got Rs. 1,800. That was the first time in my life I had seen 18 notes of Rs. 100 together. All my wishes in life are fulfilled now. The only dream remaining is that my son should get educated and stand on his own feet. 

Since this watershed development scheme has come to our village, our village has undergone a radical change. The village youth has brought this project to our village. In the beginning few of young men went to visit village Kasare to see watershed development work. Then they planted trees in the village. Father Robert and Mr. Thomas from Social Centre came for inspection of our village and accepted to start the watershed development scheme over here. 

Mr. Kachre, the collector of revenue did the inauguration of watershed development project by breaking a coconut in my land. In the beginning arranging stones on the mountains, building bunds in the land etc. was done. After that village meeting was taken and watershed development committee of 17 members was formed. Balu Zanzad was selected as the president of the committee as he had taken a lot of efforts for getting this project in our village. Then few workshops were held in the village, in those workshops advantages of watershed and information about nursery were given. In this way the watershed development project was started in our village. Since last 5 years watershed development work is going on. Village has got a lot of benefits out of it. 

Because of this scheme my land had developed very well. Wells are getting lots of water and we are able to take 2 or 3 crops per year. Water level of the village has increased and the yield has also increased. Because of all this income has increased, number of animals has increased; business of milk has started. Farmers have started getting money. Farmers are giving co-operation to this scheme. There is prohibition on grazing and cutting trees in the village. People who do not observe it have to pay penalty. The people observe this rule. Voluntary work is over and the money coming from that has been used for development. 

Because of this watershed development project women have changed radically. Earlier they knew nothing else but cooking and looking after the kids (‘chul ani mul’) but now that is not the situation. Today women’s group has been formed in our village; they have saving groups and can make money transactions now. Today women’s group has a collection of Rs. 50,000. We have right of equality in our country. I personally feel that like men, women should also have rights. 

Life of people from backward class also has changed due to Watershed; money was made available to them for business so they have started doing some small business. In this way our village has been benefited by the Watershed development. The only expectation from Social Centre is, before withdrawing from the village they should finish the remaining work. Because of this watershed development scheme the whole village has become happy.

Mrs. Chabubai Thombe, 56 years old  
Member of Laximi SHG and SHG Promoter

I am Chabubai Thombe aged 56 years.  I am a member of Laximi SHG, which was the first SHG established in Vaiju Babhulgaon village 5 years ago.  My husband works as a labourer.  He is 65 years old.  We have a small piece of non-irrigated land on which we grow jowar, bajra (sorghum, pearl millet) and groundnuts.  We get enough harvest for feeding two people, but this year was very difficult because of the extremely low rainfall. We also have 4 goats.  Besides this, I have a small dry fish business, which I started with WOTR's micro credit loan.     

My earlier days were very difficult. My husband lost his job in a sand company in Bombay and meanwhile our 2 small sons died. We returned to our village and built a small house.  But I soon became very sick and was completely bed ridden. My husband looked after me and we spent most of our money on my illness. 

In 1995, the watershed work started in our village.  Together with my husband we now worked on the watershed site. Besides the work, women's SHGs were also promoted by WOTR. In my group we are 15 members. We have a total saving of Rs.65,000 (US$1,354).  

When the Samyukt Mahila Samiti (SMS) was formed by our SHGs, the SMS applied for WOTR's Micro-Credit loan and received Rs. 43,000 (US$896).   I took a loan of Rs. 6,000 (US$125) to start a dry fish trade.  At first I sold the dry fish from my house, but later started going to other villages too.  I go to Ahmednagar city twice a month to purchase the dry fish @ Rs.80 per kg.   After the repayment of the first loan, I took a second loan of Rs.10,000 (US$208) for the same purpose.  I still have 6 months of repayment left.  The trade is doing well and I get enough profit to cover my monthly repayment and other needs.  After the repayment of the current loan, I would like to take another loan to expand this dry fish trade. 

My SHG has helped me. I too should help other poor and needy women.  So I have started motivating women and have helped to form 4 SHGs in other villages. 

I feel that through this work and with the support of my SHG I am able to leave my sorrows behind and walk the way ahead.

Mr. Ramaji Bhumaji Phad, (Lifestory: year 2000)
Village : Darewadi

My name is Ramaji Bhumaji Phad. I was born in Darewadi village. I do not know my year of birth. But I think that today I must be somewhere around sixty. I have lived in Darewadi all my life. I did not go to school. As we were very poor I had to look after our cattle and could not afford to go to school. I used to play games like Vitti-dandu, Kabbadi with my friends. 

My parents were farmers. We were four kids, two brothers and two sisters. My elder brother’s name was Bhunji. He died of Asthma. He was the eldest. I am the second child of my parents. The third child is my sister Gawubai. She was given in marriage to a boy in Kawada village. The fourth (and the youngest) amongst us is my sister named Radhabai. She was given in marriage to the boy in Hiwargaon village. When I was a child we were very poor. My parents had to work very hard to make ends meet. My father died when I was still very young. It was as if the sky had fallen on our home. We lost our main support. But my mother suffered all adversities and worked as a labourer to make the four of us survive. 

Very often I also accompanied my mother when she went for work in another village and worked as a labourer in that young age. I still remember, when I was very small I used to go to Shiplapur village with my mother on the stone cutting job. It was a hard life. Whenever I remember those days, my eyes are filled with tears. I went through a very rough and hard childhood. At the age of fifteen I became a farmer. 

I was twenty when I got married. I married a girl from Darewadi my own village. My wife’s name is Radha. Radha was seventeen years old at the time of our marriage. I did not receive any dowry in my wedding. Actually I had to give dowry to the girl to marry her. I gave my wife seven hundred rupees in dowry. Marriage took place at the bride’s house. The marriage feast consisted of Sweet Shira, Puri and Bhaji. 

I have two sons and a daughter. My elder son’s name is Umesh. He did not go to school. He is forty years old. He is married and his wife’s name is Kusum. Umesh is a farmer. He has four children. His eldest child is a girl, Ranjabai. She is ten years old and is studying in fourth standard. The second child is also a girl. Her name is Seema. She is six years old and goes to nursery school. The third child is a daughter too and her name is Guddabai.  She is four years old. Umesh’s fourth child is a son. His name is Ravindra. Ravindra is two years old. 

My second son’s name is Dnyanadeo. His has studied up to 10^th standard. Dnyanadeo is married. His wife’s name is Chahabai. Dnyanadeo has two children. The eldest child is a son. His name is Shivaji. He is in the nursery school. His younger child is a girl. Her name is Taibai. She is four years old. 

My third child is a daughter. Her name is Mandabai. She is married. She is given in marriage to a boy in Kabada village. This is the picture of my family as it is today. 

I own six acres of land. Out of which three acres are in ‘Bagayati farming’. And three acres is ‘Jirayati farming’. I grow Bajara millet, Wheat, Tomato, onions and the like in my farm. My cattle include three goats, ten sheep and one hybrid cow. Apart from farming, I do milk business as well. Every day I send ten litres of milk to the dairy, and get good money for that. 

I have done hard work throughout my childhood and younger days. Today also I work very hard. But today my condition is much better than what it was earlier. I have one dream left in my old age. I do not have a pair of bulls in my cattle. I want to till and improve my land with the help of the bulls and then I want to improve my house. 

The mountains surround my village Darewadi. The soil here is not fertile. There is a shortage of water in the village. There are no civic amenities in the village. Such was the state when Father Sahib came to our village. He studied the village. He called us for a meeting.  He told us about the ‘Water Project’ and said that it would be good if we started the project in our village. He told all the villagers the benefits of the project. Villagers unanimously gave their consent for the project, and the work for the project began almost immediately. This is how the ‘Water Project’ started in our village. 

The ‘Water Project’ development committee was established when the ‘Water Project’ started taking shape. One of the respected people in the village, Khanderao Awhad was declared president of the committee. Even today he is the president. We started the programme by first planting the trees and building the water channels. 

After some time the ‘Women’s Group’ was established. Sumanbai Dargude was appointed the president of ‘Women’s Group. The Group started the money saving activity. Women save 20 rupees per month in their saving group. 

Now it is five years since the ‘Water Project’ activity started. In these five years the profile of the village has changed totally. Our village has benefited tremendously because of the ‘Water Project’. The hills surrounding the village are now covered with trees that we had planted in the beginning. The water flowing from the hills was properly channelised on various levels. The water level in the village wells increased as the total level of water in the ground increased. And in this way the output of our farms increased. Today the farmer is able to take three different crops in the year. The farmers are able to do ‘Bagayati Farming’. The average income of the farmer has increased. The increase in money has changed the standard of living of farmers. People are able to eat good food like wheat and rice and dal. 

Earlier people never used to come together for any discussion or collective activity. But today the whole village takes all the decisions collectively for the benefit of all. Now there is no room for animosity or fights. The liquor problem in the village has been solved. People are happier in their homes. 

The savings activity of the Women’s Group is doing very well. Women are able to save the money for the crisis times. They are helping those in need by lending money at a very marginal interest. Hybrid cows are given on loan basis to the women in need, as part of the Women’s Group activity.   The milk business in the village is also increasing. The women in the village have become wiser and smart. They can express their views fearlessly and openly in any meeting or discussion. This is one of the major changes that took place in the last five years in the village. 

Now we have electricity, the water tank and proper roads in our village. These are all the benefits of the ‘Water Project’. There is not a single drawback of this project. The only sad thing is that once this project gets over the labourers on this project will be out of work and they will have to look for the work outside the village. I feel Father Sahib should do something about it and start some new scheme to solve this problem and the work of the village development should continue forever. 

I feel the credit for the ‘Water Project’ goes to the committee and Father Sahib. Of course the large share of the credit goes to the labourers too.
 

Providing opportunities, Changing lives
(Watershed Family – last quarter 2003)  

Tambhol watershed is a small village in the Akole taluka of Ahmednagar District. WOTR has been working in this village in collaboration with the Govt. of Mahrashtra since the past 2 years. During this period the fortunes of many of the families in the village and of the village itself have taken a turn for the better. 

One such family was that of Shivaji Mane.  Shivaji’s family consists of a total of 7 persons.  Because of the acute scarcity of water in the village and non-availability of any source of income in the village after the monsoons, they had to regularly travel to Ganora village 12 km away in search of labour work.  During these 4 months of each year, they barely earned Rs. 30 per day and had to walk for 7-8 km daily. 

With the watershed work starting in their village they were able to get labour work in their village itself and with the watershed treatments implemented in their field, their water problem was also solved. Because of the treatments undertaken in the watershed, the water table in their well rose – the well had more water than they had ever seen.  Earlier the water used to suffice for only upto December or at the most January, but this year they will have no problem even in April and May. 

When the villagers went on an exposure visit to a completed watershed, there were several interesting things they saw which they could easily implement back home.  With guidance from the project staff, Shivaji and his wife Kiran made many improvements in their field.  Where earlier they were able to plant only 1 or 2 varieties with great difficulty, this year they have planted bajra, wheat, gram and onion.  With support from the watershed project, they have also planted over 500 Amla saplings on 3 acres and over 400 saplings of pomegranate on 1 acre.  In order to ensure efficient utilization of the water they have conserved, they also installed a drip irrigation system for these.  

Shivaji’s wife Kiran is a member of one of the self-help groups in the village where the women save Rs. 50 each per month. With support from the group she was able to take a loan of Rs. 3000 for purchasing fertilizer.  After repaying this she also took a loan for paying her children’s school fees and repaid that too in time. In the earlier days for any such domestic need, be it big or small, they would have had to go to the village moneylender – a need which no longer exists today.. 

Not having been able to study too far himself, Shivaji is sure that he wants to give his children the education he missed out on.  His two daughters are studying in the 9^th and 10^th standard, while the two sons are studying in college.  

Shivaji’s mother is happy that their insecurity and need for wandering each year in search of work to provide for the family is now a thing of the past.  In fact, they are now in a position to provide labour opportunities for some others in the village themselves.  Their willingness to work hard and the right guidance received by them at the time when they needed it most, has seen them in good stead.  With determination and hard work, they were able to make the most of the opportunity that came their way.
 

MS. SUMAN SUKHDEV DARGUDE, 37 years, Mahila Mandal President

I am 37 years old and I belong to the Vanjari community. My mother’s village is Kavta, which is just 3 km. away from this village. I have studied up to class 7.  I didn't continue my education, because it was not given much importance at that time. I wanted to study more, but when I compare my situation with other women of my age in this village, I feel very happy that I at least got that much education. At that time there were only around 20 girls in our school. For high school education we had to go to Sakur as is also the case in this village.  So most girls in our village leave their studies after class 7. That is what happened with my daughter also. Boys can travel by cycle to the school. But girls using cycles as in the city, is not yet accepted in our village. Our village is very underdeveloped and backward.

I have two brothers and one sister. All of them are married. One of my brothers works in a company in Nashik. The other  works on our land. We had sufficient land. Rarely had we to go out to work.  Now once in a while I visit my parents. They also come here to meet me. My husband goes there often.

I was married into this village around 18 years ago. My husband is the eldest in his household. He has one brother and 2 sisters. Both the sisters are married. We all stay together. His parents, brother, his brother’s wife and child and our family. We cultivate, cook, etc. and live together. Being the eldest daughter-in-law in the household, I am the one who looks after the household affairs with my mother-in-law. It is very peaceful in the house. I get the freedom to go out and attend meetings, listen to others etc. My husband is the Sarpanch of this village. I have 3 children – 2 daughters and one son, 2 of who are studying. My daughter has studied up to class 7. She could not continue because there are no schools nearby.

After Father started this work in the village, many changes have taken place. First it took a lot of time for them to convince our men-folk. At that time we women didn't attend meetings and participate in discussions.  We used to only hear about the plans to start watershed work through the men. But we didn't know exactly what was going on.  Women never used to attend meetings. There was no such culture. Even amongst ourselves we never used to come together. Relations were only amongst neighbours and relatives. After much persuasion our men decided to start the Watershed work. It was not that everybody agreed to it. There was opposition from different quarters, like the shepherds and other livestock owners. 

I heard that in the meetings Father said that they even wanted the active participation of women in the Programme and Mahila Mandals have to be organised. Datir and Jinatai called a meeting of women and explained to us the importance of women’s participation and Mahila Mandal formation. Initially there were very few who joined.  They also explained to us the economics benefit, if the groups were formed. A lot of women in our village are labourers, even though they own land. Since there is no irrigation, agricultural income is not sufficient. Most of them go out to work, sometimes even migrate for months with their men. For a woman it is more difficult to stay in a strange atmosphere than it is for men.  When Father, Datir, Jinatai, etc. told us that once the work started we would get jobs within the village, the women were very happy. And due to the Mahila Mandal they could start saving groups and other income generation programmes. A lot of women readily agreed to the formation of the women’s groups and within 3 months the membership grew to 140. I was very keen from the beginning. I knew that there were very active women groups in other parts of the State, which were doing good work for women. Jinatai spent a lot of time with us in the beginning. 

We started a saving group with Rs.10/- monthly saving. Since the group was big (140  members) and many of women stay in different hamlets far away from the village we have decided to form small groups of women who lived close together.   Now there are 7 such groups. I am the President of our group. I was elected because I was educated and can speak in the meetings. I am personally very keen on organising, working and talking with others. 

Now each group has its savings separately. We save Rs.10/- a month and give it on interest to members who are in need.  The interest rate is 2% per month. One member can take up to Rs.300/- and they have to return it after a month with interest. If the money is not lent out we deposit it in the bank in a joint account of the President and Lady Social Worker. We like this system because it is a saving for life and women can get some financial help when they are in urgent need. The women take loans for their children’s education, and other emergency needs. 

Women were given loans of Rs.200/- for buying hens. Most of them made a good profit out of it, even up to Rs.1000/.  After a year we had to return the money with Rs.25/- as interest.  Father and Datir asked our Mahila Mandal whether we would like to start the nursery programme, for which we readily agreed.  He provided us with Rs. 800/- for seeds and bags. We filled 8000 bags with seeds out of which 6500 have survived.  This year it will be used for the plantation. Since there is no rain, the plantation is late and we still do not know how much profit we will get from this nursery. There are subabhul, bor, neem (different tree species) etc. in the nursery.  Now we plan to buy a sewing machine to make water bags.  It will be brought within a month. The Jondhalewadi women have set up a flourmill machine.  Our Mahila Mandal is just 2 years old and already has a good impact on our women. Every Mandal has separate meetings in their respective areas once in a month. Issues related to women’s status, cleanliness, health etc. are also discussed. 

An exposure visit was also organised for women.  We had gone to Malegaon Pathar, and Savre Kasare. I also went for the trip, where we got an opportunity to talk to other women’s groups in other watersheds and discussed their activities. Water, trees etc. are very much related to women’s lives and they told us that economic independence is also very necessary for women if they have to develop. 

Earlier we hardly had any relation with the outside world. Now a lot of people visit us, talk to us and we feel good and proud.  Two years back none of us used to come together nor attend any meetings.  Now quite a few women attend the Gram Sabha, meetings, and sometimes even speak during these meetings. They attend V.W.C meetings and in their own groups they discuss a lot of things. These are some of the big changes, according to me, which have been brought about by the watershed work. 

The Mahila Mandals actively participate in Shramadan.  I have contributed Shramadan for the road work, repairing of percolation tanks and on plantation work. Now our women get labour work within their village. They do not go out leaving the old and children back home. That is a big achievement. We are able to save some money and men also understand our value. 

There is sufficient drinking water in our village and water tanker is not required any more. As far as fuel is concerned, there was kuradh bandi earlier also in the Forest, but it was not very effective. But now we follow this very strictly. I myself get fuel-wood from my mother’s home when we do not have enough in our farm. Father’s work has done a lot of good for the village and very few people now drink liquor in our village. 

Once the work is over, the agriculture will improve. There will be more benefit in the future. We are around 150 women in all the groups. We all feel the same about it. 

Our Mahila Mandal plans to buy two sewing machines to produce water-bags, and recently Datir has told us that 5% of the cost of the whole Watershed programme is reserved for the Mahila Mandal. So we want to start a group poultry project.  Some of us women will be sent for training in poultry farming. 

We have about 10 acres of land that is irrigated. My family owns a flourmill for additional income. I have great hopes that we can do more work in the nursery and shift the nursery to a place where we can have sufficient water.  

Mrs. Ranjana Sanjang Dengale, 25 years old  
President of Saraswati SHG, SMS Member and Sarpanch    

I am Ranjana Sanjang Dengale, 25 years old.  I live in Vaiju-Babhulgaon, which has population of 1,300. I am educated up to 7^th grade. I was married when I was 14 years old.  I have a 7-year-old daughter and a 5-year-old son.  My husband is a tailor. I am currently the President of Saraswati Self Help Group (SHG), which was established in November 1999 and has 20 members.  Our village has 14 SHGs.  I am a member of Samyukta Mahila Samiti (SMS).  I am also the Sarpanch(Elected head) of the village Gram panchayat (Elected body for governing the village). 

Before joining the SHG, I was mainly engaged in seasonal agricultural labor for 3-4 months in a year.  I earned Rs.30 per day.  My husband did not do field work since he has a tailoring business. 

Activities after joining the SHG   :
I joined the SHG to improve our family's economic conditions.  Each member of our SHG saves Rs.20 (US$ 0.43) per month, which is pooled and used for internal lending within the group. Today, my SHG has a total saving of Rs.16,000 (US$333), and my saving amounts to Rs.800 (US$17). Internal lending is very useful. It helps us meet some small daily needs.  I had taken a loan of Rs.1,500 from the internal lending for health and educational expenses as well as to purchase some material for my husband's tailoring business.  I repaid the loan with interest within 3 months.  

Besides internal lending, our group took a loan from WOTR through our SMS.  I took my first loan of Rs.5,000 (US$104) through the SMS in December 2000 and bought a piko (A type of sewing machine) machine. My husband taught me how to sew saree blouses, children's clothes, etc. I am now engaged in this business too. I earn Rs.20 for a blouse.  I get clients within the village, as well as from other villages.  My husband sometimes teaches other villagers sewing.  He can get about Rs.100 a month from teaching.  I plan to ask my husband to teach me to sew other types of clothes. Beside the new piko machine, we have four sewing machines.  We repaid the loan in one year without any problems. 

I took my second loan of Rs.10,000 (through the SMS) in May 2001 and opened a general store. At the store, we sell school material, sweets and other daily goods.  The monthly repayment for this loan is Rs.836.  There is not much profit from the store yet, but there is no loss either. My husband and I together make decisions regarding our businesses. On an average we get Rs 1,000 per month from our businesses. 

I like my SHG.  Internal lending is working well and we support each other. Nobody has dropped out of our SHG.  We have more trust among our SHG members.  The SHG activities have also helped us to gain new perspectives. We discuss various issues at SHG meetings, including social issues, dowry, drinking problems, kitchen gardening. We have started our own kitchen gardens after the discussion. There are also other issues we should consider, such as health situations and education for children.  We have no doctor in our own village and if we are ill we have to go to doctors in another village which is very far from here. 

There have been other positive changes besides increase in our income. At the beginning, the community did not approve of women's meetings.  But now, SHGs are accepted.  Men in the village allow their wives to attend meetings and contribute towards the loan repayments.  Some men have formed their own SHG too.  At the personal level, previously I was not comfortable talking in front of people.  But now, I have gained confidence in speaking freely. My husband has been supportive from the beginning. He recognizes and appreciates more my role in the SHG and SMS, as well as my responsibility as Sarpanch.  I am glad to be a Sarpanch, because it gives me a chance to become someone great.

Mrs. Chabubai Thombe, 56 years old  
Member of Laximi SHG and SHG Promoter    

I am Chabubai Thombe aged 56 years.  I am a member of Laximi SHG, which was the first SHG established in Vaiju Babhulgaon village 5 years ago.  My husband works as a labourer.  He is 65 years old.  We have a small piece of non-irrigated land on which we grow jowar, bajra (sorghum, pearl millet) and groundnuts.  We get enough harvest for feeding two people, but this year was very difficult because of the extremely low rainfall. We also have 4 goats.  Besides this, I have a small dry fish business, which I started with WOTR's micro credit loan.    

My earlier days were very difficult. My husband lost his job in a sand company in Bombay and meanwhile our 2 small sons died. We returned to our village and built a small house.  But I soon became very sick and was completely bed ridden. My husband looked after me and we spent most of our money on my illness. 

In 1995, the watershed work started in our village.  Together with my husband we now worked on the watershed site. Besides the work, women's SHGs were also promoted by WOTR. In my group we are 15 members. We have a total saving of Rs.65,000 (US$1,354).  

When the Samyukt Mahila Samiti (SMS) was formed by our SHGs, the SMS applied for WOTR's Micro-Credit loan and received Rs. 43,000 (US$896).   I took a loan of Rs. 6,000 (US$125) to start a dry fish trade.  At first I sold the dry fish from my house, but later started going to other villages too.  I go to Ahmednagar city twice a month to purchase the dry fish @ Rs.80 per kg.   After the repayment of the first loan, I took a second loan of Rs.10,000 (US$208) for the same purpose.  I still have 6 months of repayment left.  The trade is doing well and I get enough profit to cover my monthly repayment and other needs.  After the repayment of the current loan, I would like to take another loan to expand this dry fish trade. 

My SHG has helped me. I too should help other poor and needy women.  So I have started motivating women and have helped to form 4 SHGs in other villages. 

I feel that through this work and with the support of my SHG I am able to leave my sorrows behind and walk the way ahead.

Mrs. Shahaja Subhash Sheikh – September 2001

My name is Shahaja Subhash Sheikh, age 50.  I am a member of Jagdamba Self Help Group (SHG) in Vaiju Babhulgaon village.  The group was established one year ago, and has 20 women.  I have two sons and one daughter.  My sons are in 8th and 12th standard at the school respectively, and my daughter was in 10th standard when she quit the school because we could not afford her school materials.  My husband is a driver in Ahmednagar city and is educated up to 7th standard.  I got married to him when I was 13.  I live with my family and relatives (4 families altogether), and total 15 people are living in the same house.  I cannot read or write. 

After marriage until I joined the SHG, I was working on somebody's watershed field.  I worked from 11am to 7pm, and earned Rs.30 daily.  I do not have my own land.    

I received the loan of Rs.2000 from the group's internal lending, and used for education and health purposes as well as for purchasing bangles to sell.  

Then I received the loan of Rs.10,000 from SMS for bigger bangle business.  My sister and mother-in-law help me with the business.  First, we bought bangles worth Rs.5000 from Ahmednagar city, and sold them in our village as well as in other villages.  Then we bought more with the remaining Rs.5000.  The monthly installment is Rs.970.  We bought the bangles during the marriage season, which is good for bangle selling because people give them as gifts.  

One bunch of bangles from wholesalers costs Rs.100, which comes to Rs.10 per dozen bangles.  I sell a dozen for Rs.15, making Rs.5 profit for each.  Bangles are fragile and need careful handling.  About 25% of the purchase gets damaged.  But I can sell the broken bangles at the market.  I have to sell by a big sack, and I can get Rs.150 per sack.  

People in other villages pay cash on the spot, while people in my village pay 4-5 months later.  This can be a problem for repayment of my loan.  Yet, so far, people do pay even if it is late.  I go to other villages weekly as well as during festivals.  Currently, there is no loss, no profit.  

In the beginning, my husband did not agree that I go to the meetings.  He was sometimes violent too.  He always asked me, "What are you going to the meetings for?".  But I told him that I go because I can get loans and it can be very profitable.  He observed some SHG meetings, and now he approves.  He helps me repaying part of the loan.  

Our SHG does not have any problems.  Each member saves Rs.50 per month.  We also have social discussions during the meetings. 

After joining the SHG, we built a house with the collective income of our family to which I could contribute some.  As well, we have now three full meals, with better nutrition.           

My wish is to increase this bangle business, and get more loans for it.  I am planning the marriage for my daughter this December, for which I need to pay dowry.  The expected amount for the dowry is Rs.10,000.  Partly, I will pay from my income, but I will also have to get internal loan from my SHG or get money from a local money lender who charges 10% interest rate.