One of the powerful approaches to women’s empowerment and rural entrepreneurship is harnessing the collective power by organizing them in to small groups.

MSSRF has close to 25 years of experience in women’s empowerment in Kannivadi region of Dindigul district. MSSRF was one of the earliest organisations to initiate and organise farm women and men into groups to enable access to knowledge on sustainable agriculture that would improve their livelihood and incomes. It organised dialogues with experts, capacity building programmes on agriculture and allied activities and also on micro enterprises. It helps them in reaching the schemes and subsidies and connect with formal financial linkages and with institutions such as NABARD, line departments and markets.

MSSRF strategically promoted two grassroots institutions-Reddiyarchathiram Sustainable Agricultural Producers Company (RESAPCOL) and Kuzhumai (Women SHG Federation), through which it carries out its activities. This process is helping to institutionalise the whole project based interventions.

The savings are used for internal credit, charging an interest – thus enabling members to handle agricultural operations/production expenses, clear debts, children educational expenses and in few cases asset creation.

Being a member of a group has given better livelihood conditions and a sense of empowerment to majority of women. Few groups have taken up eco-enterprises (largely bio inputs) and are performing well.  They are in a position to be an important part of any decision taken at the household level. It has brought out potentials of women – leadership qualities, management skills, managing finances, interacting with government officials/experts with clarity and confidence.

The following case study of Ms Kausalya reflects some of the positive changes in her life. Her group is engaged in the production of Arbuscular Mycorrhiza Fungi (AMF), a bio input as a micro-enterprise.

This is what she had to say,

“I, Kausalya aged 54 years come from a village called T Pudupatti, in Kannivadi region, Tamil Nadu. I come from socially and economically backward landless labour community. Agriculture is the main stay of the villages located in and around Kannivadi. We hardly, particularly women, knew nothing other than the physical farm work and household works until we came into contact with MSSRF. They brought the women and also men from their routine agricultural and household work to the outside world by organising them into groups; we did not have any idea about the concept of a group. Today, I am proud to say that I am heading a AMF production unit.

Being part of SHGs with access to savings and micro financial facility has transformed many women’s lives. We are confident and independent women now; our households are free from the clutches of money lenders to meet agricultural and other expenses. I never imagined that I would see my eldest daughter as a B.Ed  teacher; my younger one as a staff nurse. Ivvalavu dhooram padikkavai penenruninaikkavillai (I never thought that I would be able to educate my daughters this level). The confidence, we can we must attitude and awareness about various issues have been gained because of being a SHG member. It has given better livelihood conditions and a sense of empowerment to a majority of SHG women members.

Initially it was a struggle to mobilise 12 persons to form a group; however, gradually women and men including agricultural labourers came forward to join groups. Our group consisting of 12 persons was formed with a monthly contribution of Rs 10 as savings in the year 2000. Presently, there are 10 members and monthly contribution has increased to Rs 300/-. Access to credit from the savings allows us to meet agricultural expenditure, to pay school/college fees of our children, medical expenses, and so on. We could buy a petty shop that gives us an additional income. I bought a milch cow using bank loan with subsidy.

I grew into a confident person and developed my skills to start and manage a micro economic enterprise along with the support of my group members. MSSRF conducted a meeting to explain about various income generating activities for women and men of the SHG members. Our group chose ornamental fish culture as micro economic enterprise. We were taken to Madurai to learn about ornamental fish culture. With MSSRF financial support we started a unit. It was profitable but we could not continue; market, feed, water and space posed problems in continuing it. SHGs were also given technical training in preparing various agricultural bio inputs like Pseudomonas, Trichoderma, Bacillus and Arbuscular Mycorrhiza Fungi (AMF). Our group underwent training on AMF preparation; initially, when we started the enterprise in 2012, MSSRF/RSGA supported us by giving two tonnes of vermicompost for preparing AMF, subsequently it was increased to five tonnes. From 200 kilos our production of AMF has increased to 10 tonnes. We faced difficulties and problems but we did not give up. We had to change places four times.

We faced difficulties in marketing. Fortunately, we got contacts through word of mouth, Facebook of RESAPCOL and You Tube. Our sales gradually picked up. We have customers from Coimbatore, Palani, Salem, Namakkal, Kanyakumari and so on. We are selling a minimum of 250 kilos per month. We sold for Rs 42 per kilo earlier, now for Rs 60/-RESAPCOL also buys from us.

For every kilo sold we get Rs 10 as profit; labour charges Rs 5. All the 10 members engage in the production; we get Rs 800 as monthly wages. Four days a month we work in AMF production. Since four years we are managing the production with our savings. Now we own a small piece of land as our production unit.

Social and economic status of our group members have enhanced. My husband, initially did not like the idea of me being part of the AMF producing unit. Today he helps me whenever I feel little tired or unwell. He helps in getting water, packing and transporting. Similarly, there is a positive change in the attitude of spouses of other women. The men do not expect us to give our earnings; they have confidence in us. There were many times when I had given money to my husband for agricultural expenses. We are able to plan our household budget well and maintain the accounts properly. Women are able to take decisions but consult the men; we are in a position to educate our children without much of a difficulty. There is cooperation and solidarity among group members. Some issues will crop up but we sort it out.

We are confident that demand for our product will increase. There is awareness on the importance of bio inputs. We hope that more and more farmers would shift to using organic inputs.

More women should come forward to start economic enterprises at least on a small scale. Today, we are respected at home and the village because of this.