During the last six years Jagruti has organised 120 Self Help Groups, (SHG) in 22 villages of Khanapur Taluk. Each of these SHG has membership from 10 to 20, with a name suggested by these women and they meet every week to contribute a savings from rupees ten to twenty, depending upon the capacity of the SHG members to contribute and the decision taken. The savings of this group is kept in the local bank, and operated by two members nominated by the members. An amount is withdrawn from the bank, when any of the member, is in need of money for some personal need. The money will have to be returned on the terms that are fixed by the members with an interest rate also, thus the money and the interest remains within the group and also avoiding the local money lender, who has a high rate of interest and an inbuilt exploitative system.

Gundanatti women SHG meeting.

It is gratifying to note that the total savings of these nine hundred women in 120 SHGs is around Rupees Fifteen Hundred Thousand, and the local bank has given Rupees Two Hundred Thousand as matching grant. The local rural banks are impressed with the success of these SHG and also because returns from these women group is 100%, where as otherwise it is around 40% normally, when the loan is given to individuals.

To develop leadership among SHG members, Jagruti has come out with an idea of Cluster Group (or Gonchalu Sangha) in which four office bearers of each SHG will become members of these Cluster Sangha. This will help in coordination and cooperation among all these SHG’s and therefore most social problems will be managed at the community level only.

2) Trainings:

Are the highlights of Jagruti’s input for the SHG members. The creation of Cluster Sangha has been to bring members of each SHG under one roof so that the training inputs are given. These members in turn get back to their SHGs and inform the SGH members about the trainings. Topics covered in the training include gender sensitivity, health, leadership and documentation.

Farmers are encouraged to take up sustainable agriculture, through involvement of women. They are regularly updated on issues concerning it through books, magazines, field visits to neighbouring places, trainings and input from resource persons.

Within the larger context of Jagruti’s vision, SHGs are only an instrument, to bring people together on a common platform, so that the larger issues like gender violence, girl child neglect, problem of illiteracy, ill effects of globalisation and other issues connected with equity are addressed in proper context with people’s participation.

4) Publication:

The Kannada translation of ‘Where There Is No Doctor’ and the present ‘Doctor Illadede’ (Kannada translation) needs no introduction to health workers who are working at grass root level. It is a book that has revolutionized health care for the poor. It has been translated into ninety languages all over the world. Originally written in Spanish, from the first hand experience of working with the peasants, but has been suitably modified in the Indian version. This is the 2nd edition of this book in Kannada, with most of it being sold.