Book Review of `A manual for Capacity Building of Self Help Groups : The MYRADA

Experience - Soumen Biswas+

T

here is no official estimate available on number of self help

institutions is enough to indicate that a huge pool of experience exist.

groups (SHGs) functioning in India today. However, the one

It also creates enormous opportunities for review and research

available at hand is of NABARD on SHG-bank linkage figures.

for refinement. Institutions that remained in the vanguard of SHG

According to it, by March 2000, about 80,000 SHGs had

promotion efforts have a special role to play here - to document

accessed credit from banks. Considering that a large no. of

or catalyse documentation of their experiences so that an important

SHGs, which are yet to access external credit, as well as others,

instrument of poverty alleviation like the SHG gets precisioned,

who have received credit from other sources, the figures must

understandings develop, newcomers benefit, and the sector

be in the tune of lakhs. While such a significant figure in a short

strengthened. It may be worthwhile to view "A Manual for Capacity

span of ten years is encouraging, it is a cause for concern too.

Building of Self Help Groups : The MYRADA Experience" in

such a context. Coming from an institution of MYRADA's standing,

SHGs occupy the lion's share of the micro-credit sector of India

it is sure to heighten expectations and influence SHG initiatives of

of which women's SHGs are in a vast majority. The social value

many.

of the SHGs in general and women's SHGs in particular is being

This spiral bound volume containing 207 pages describes twenty-

increasingly perceived. With so many SHGs around, various

four training modules for capacity building of SHGs, each of which

government poverty alleviation prog. route through SHGs, also

comprises of more than one session. Fourteen of them are

number of SHG promoters is increasing day by day, one of the

essential for any new SHG and need to be conducted in the

major concerns today is the quality of the SHGs promoted and

sequence in which they are presented. Ten others, not that they

their sustainability. Are they all SHGs even if they go by the

are non-essential, can be used at the discretion of the trainer,

name of it? Majority of the SHGs have received loan for the first

depending on the training needs of the group. The module "SHG,

time from banks and their capacity to manage the loan is yet to be

the Concept" is of two days' duration. The others, like "A Structural

tested especially in a situation where target pressures have

Analysis of Society", "How to Conduct an SHG Meeting", "Building

started acting seriously on the lenders.

a Vision", "Rules and Regulations in a Self Help Group",

"Leadership", etc. vary between six and two & a half hours.

Unfortunately, till now the knowledge creation and the know-

Each module describes module aim (long term objectives),

how about various aspects of SHG promotion has been very

learning objectives (immediate objectives), other preparations

inadequate. Even though a body of knowledge exists on group

(that trainer must make before training), module summary, materials

behaviour, group development or group-based learning, very

required, content, learning processes, methods and activities,

little can be found that apply to these SHGs and could create an

"Stop and Check" (To find that training message has got across

SHG-specific know-how. Significant work has been done across

or not). Each module, at the end also describes games that are to

countries on the accounting and financial aspects of micro-finance

be used, stories that can be told and pictures that can be displayed

institutions (MFIs), however only a little has been documented

and indicates what is to be expected from the trainees from the

about the SHG, which at its core, is also a micro-finance institution.

next SHG meeting onwards. Three appendices (i) PRA exercises,

Although the volume of funds or transactions of an individual

(ii) energizers (to be used during training) and (iii) resource &

SHG may be comparatively smaller, the importance of system

reference list, supplement the manual. Introduction by Saleela

design and administration nevertheless remains. Again, an SHG,

Patker describes the need for training of SHGs, history of SHG

even though good as a group, falters in absence of significant

training in MYRADA, process of preparation of the manual, what

credit absorption for investment purposes. Very less literature

the manual has to offer and whom is it for. Also given is a note,

exists on interventions in livelihood promotion for SHG members

before the beginning of modules, on how to use this manual

where credit has been utilised and its offtake enhanced as a

which includes short notes on training tools like guided dialogue,

result of such interventions.

brainstorming, group discussion, fish bowl exercise, role-play

etc. The manual doesn't cover SHG Financial and Management

Learners, researchers, policy makers, donors, others concerned

Systems, for which another manual has been published.

about SHG promotion and finally those who want to seriously

take up the task of SHG promotion, often get lost in absence of

Regarding target users of the manual, it is not very clear if the

documented knowledge and know-how. The problem is

manual is for other SHG promoting institutions and the purpose is

compounded when many SHG promoters view it as anybody's

to disseminate training know-how for SHGs wide across. "The

job and it does not require much skill. For many important

demand to train NGOs and bank staff involved in fostering SHGs

stakeholders, it is not only easy to promote SHGs, it also doesn't

as well as to train SHGs directly both in India and abroad has

require much resources. They hold and promote this view, which

encouraged MYRADA to pull together this Training Manual" -

adds to the danger of a promising edifice crumbling sooner than

mentions Aloysius Prakash Fernandez in the Foreword. However,

it could make an impact.

the context here is more on MYRADA's initiatives in training others.

The introduction mentions, "The SHG training manual is essentially

Many SHGs in the country have established link with external

meant for any person who will be involved in training self help

groups...Any person who wishes to use this manual must be a

+ The author is Programme Director, PRADAN, Ranchi

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