14

Sa-Dhan Patrika

Volume 7,

Issue 1, September 2006

My association with SHGs started way

two months. Once this phase was over,

back in December 1998 when PRADAN

we again had a meeting to decide how

initiated an SHG in my village

to initiate the system for weekly meeting

Lakshmanpur with 18 women. My

data flow from the SHGs and its regular

In that meeting we

mother took an active part in its

updating in the computer. In that

decided to place

promotion by motivating the other

meeting we decided to place drop

drop boxes at

village women. At that time I was in the

boxes at strategic locations in each SHG

strategic locations

8th standard. The Dada (Elder Brother)

cluster. The groups would drop the

in each SHG

from PRADAN and the SHG members

duplicate of the meeting data sheets

cluster

approached me and asked me

(RMTS ­1) in those boxes after

whether I would be interested in

conducting  their  meetings  on

maintaining accounts of the SHG as the

respective days which were assigned

members were not literate enough. I

for each cluster. Three messengers used

immediately agreed to their proposal

to collect these sheets from 16 such

after which I attended the training of

boxes spread over three blocks and

accountants imparted by PRADAN.

then file those with me. During that time

Besides this I picked up the nitty-gritties

there were two old computers at the

of accounts on the job during the SHG

PRADAN Balarampur office and I

meetings attended by the PRADAN

worked on one of these. The PRADAN

officer. I learnt fast and also began

staff started calling me Computer

helping other SHG accountants. The

Munshi, and I must say I liked the new

PRADAN

professionals

always

identity.

appreciated my work which further

inspired.

Each messenger was paid Rs 2 per RMTS

and I was paid another Rs 2 per member

Soon I became a resource person for a

per month for entries. This money was

large number of SHGs in my area. During

given by PRADAN. One day the

this period all the SHG books of

computer became corrupt due to a

accounts were maintained manually.

virus and we lost all the data. So the

Many accountants had problems in

entire process of feeding the Master

preparing monthly Trial- Balances,

Data had to be repeated. Then

calculating interest dues, in maintaining

PRADAN decided to purchase a new

On-Time-Repayment calendars. Finally

computer and dedicate it to this

in 2002, PRADAN introduced the

purpose. This time Avijit-da told me that

computerised system for accounts

they would give me the computer if I

maintenance. The PRADAN staff in-

agreed to take this activity of doing SHG

charge of my area, Avijit-da asked me

accounts as a business. I would have to

whether I would like to attend the

take the computer and accessories on

training. The training was done in

loan and pay back the amount over a

PRADAN office at Kashipur. There were

period of time. I could then own this

many others like me there. As none of

computer; I was also free to do other

us had even touched a computer

computer-based businesses with this,

before this, we were very nervous. But

provided I carried out my core activity

the training was very interesting and

without fail.

finally on the seventh day we had an

I agreed to it and the next day I had

exam on what we had learnt. I scored

my own new computer. We again had

the highest in that exam, and it was a

a meeting where Avijit-da helped me

nice feeling and gave me a lot of self-

prepare my business plan. Subsequently

confidence.

I also attended a training at Ranchi, the

cost for which was borne by PRA.

After returning from Kashipur, we had a

meeting at Balarampur. In that meeting

Gradually, in about a year, the system

we  planned  how  we  would

of regular data-flow to the PRADAN

computerise the accounts of all the 120

office, and the data entry in the

SHGs at Balarampur. First we had to

computer was streamlined. We then

audit the SHG books and prepare the

started the process for sending

Master Data sheets for each SHG.

feedback to the SHGs. Reports such as

Accordingly we fixed dates for each

RMTS II, member savings and credit

SHG cluster, and on a campaign mode

balances and monthly Trial Balances

prepared the Master Data sheets of all

were required by the SHGs regularly. I

the SHG's. Other accountants also

assisted the PRADAN staff in training the

helped me in the preparation of these

SHGs on the utility of these financial

sheets. The entire exercise took us nearly

statements and how they were to be