Sa-Dhan Newsletter Volume 4 Issue 2
Community Based Organisations
Training, monitoring and Evaluation of SHGs
§
Social interventions:
Audit of SHGs was commended to be a critical function
§
of the clusters
Clusters in Tikamgarh district have constructed 2 check
3.
Plan for cluster-level associations and sustainability in
dams to solve the problem of water scarcity. This took
place after some of the villagers had attended a government
the time span of 1 year according to this groups were
meeting on watershed management. They decided to
given as below:
implement the process in their own village. A 59-metre-
long dam was made without any government support.
To initiate a vision-building approach, by organizing
§
The case of the construction of a road was also mentioned.
various sorts of training for field workers and informal
The villagers got down to repairing the road that led to a
leaders.
village in East Niwar. SHG members came together to
undertake this activity when a members' son was seriously
Informal meetings should be held and exposure visits
§
injured because of the bad road. This incident saw 12
should be organized. In addition to this, panelist
Swashakti SHGs and non-Swashakti SHGs working together.
suggested that the meetings and visits that are organized
should act as a platform for members to rectify loopholes
Group Discussion and Its Recommendations
in functioning and to discuss the problems faced by
different groups in their day-to-day management of
After the presentation of the status on SHG formation and the
group activities.
problem of each states were presented, the participants were
divided into four groups, which discusses four different
The panelist also suggested that grading of groups on
§
issues. These are given as follows:
the basis of repayment rates acts as an effective
motivating factor for SHG members.
1.
Indicators for sustainability of clusters
2.
The Role of clusters
The federation serving in different areas should have
§
3.
Plan for cluster-level associations and sustainability in
tie-ups with government functionaries who would join
the time span of 1 Year
their issue-based committees for the purpose of running
4.
The sustainable source of finance".
different government programs in the area. The main
idea was that the clusters should be given some
1.
Indicators for sustainability of clusters according to this
recognition and responsibility like SHGs in Gujarat
group are given as below::
whose members were involved in the watershed project.
a)
Operational Indicators:
Mentoring of Clusters for the purpose of capacity
§
l Meetings
building regarding the operation of cluster-level
l Record-keeping
associations should be an important activity of the
l Pattern of interaction
federation.
l Leadership pattern- democratic or outsiders.
4.
The group on the sustainable source of finance
recommended the followings as the source of sources
b)
Social Indicators:
of funds:
l Acceptability of governments schemes
l Identification action of social activity
Members' savings and the membership fee, credit from
§
financing institutions, donations and grants etc.
c)
Miscellaneous Indicators:
l Legal status
Consultancy, project implementation, dealership and
§
trading. The discussion was supported by examples of
l Networking
groups that have set up marketing outlets for locally
Meetings as an indicator of sustainability are important in the
produced crafts and goods like SEWA and Tamil Nadu
initial stages of group formation, but once the financial stake
Development Corporation.
of clients is involved then financial sustainability is more
important than the other issues. The panelist put forward an
Utilization of funds for strengthening of the cluster;
§
optimistic view, saying that very soon clusters would be the
imparting need-based training and providing orientation
key bottom line unit in the micro-finance sector.
of groups as well structured at the level of the federation.
2.
The group recommended the following as to what
The Panelists suggested that participants should go for
§
should be the role of clusters:
schemes where NABARD is supporting the formation
and orientation of clusters and federations.
Promotion of groups (SHGs)
§
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