Self Help Group Activities

Apart from the rehabilitation of individual disabled persons, the IHRDC organizes manpower development programmes to address the education, rehabilitation and vocational needs of groups of disabled persons of all categories nder SHG Scheme. In collaboration with the District Administration, Coimbatore, the IHRDC implemented Self-Help Group (SHG) activities for persons with disabilities on June 1, 2003.  The Perianaickenpalayam and Karamadai Blocks were covered under this scheme.

Training to Self-Help Groups: Creating of self-employment opportunities is vital for persons with disabilities to make them economically independent. However, individual clients sometimes lack self-motivation due to the difficulty involved in sustaining self-employment avenues. Therefore, providing structured training to persons with disabilities to form self-help groups not only develops confidence in them but also improves their income-generation opportunities.  On the basis of discussions with the District Administration, officials from Government of India and Tamil Nadu, experts and disabled clients, the existing SGSY scheme was modified to address the self-employment needs of persons with disabilities.

Special Project: The IHRDC made an intensive survey in Karamadai and Perianaickenpalayam blocks and identified nearly 800 persons in the age group 14-50 years who can be benefitted by self-help group concepts.  Based on the proposed model, the District Rural Development Authority (DRDA) and IHRDC prepared a proposal to benefit 80 self-help groups of persons with disabilities each year in Perianaickenpalayam and Karamadai blocks.  The proposal of the DRDA was approved by the Government of India as per their letter dated 11 March 2004.  With the preparatory work and orientation of officials, the project was formally launched on June 1, 2004.

Aptitude Training: The aptitude training and skill training were provided in the IHRDC.  The aptitude training was for a period of 7 days.

Assessment for Skill Training: A committee consisting of professionals in visual impairment, hearing impairment, mental retardation and locomotor disabilities, set up by the IHRDC, reviewed the progress of the clients at each step.

Need-based Skill training: After the aptitude training was completed, the disabled people were assisted to identify the trades of their choice.  Following this, the trainees were classified into different self-help groups, with a minimum of 5 persons in each group and then given a minimum of 4 weeks intensive skill training in the selected trade to attain mastery over that trade.  Depending on the ability of the client, skill training was organized to learn more than one vocational trade.  The duration of the skill training too varied.  For example, training in bakery needed 3 weeks, tailoring requires 3-4 months, computer training requires 6-9 months and so on.  Therefore, the training was fully need-based and the duration depended on the ability level of the client. The DRDA met the cost of training for a period of 4 weeks as per the project. Cost for training beyond 4 weeks for any number of clients was met by the IHRDC, Ramakrishna Mission Vidyalaya.

Trades: Need-based vocational activities were provided to the members of SHG in 36 trades and each client was taught a minimum of 5 trades. 

Opening Bank Account: After the skill training was over, the IHRDC assisted the clients to form Self-Help Groups and also prepared them for self-employment by opening bank accounts, procuring raw material and creating local work environment. 

Cluster Level Centres: Most of the disabled persons do not have adequate facilities in their homes for making the products. The cluster level centre helped them to solve such problems. The members of production oriented SHGs assembled at the cluster level centres and made their products. The raw materials and finished goods were also stored at the centre.  The members were also taking their products to markets and customers located in various places.

For the above activities it was proposed to construct 12 cluster level centres during the first year.  To monitor the activities of the cluster level centres located at various places a main centre was constructed.

Networking: To ensure that the cluster level centers function smoothly, a coordination committee was formed who met once in 15 days and discussed various matters such as progress, support services, marketing, Govt. welfare schemes, rights of the disabled,  etc. 

Beneficiaries: As per the proposal submitted to the Government of India, 80 self-help groups were supposed to be developed in each year of implementation of the project by 31 May 2004.  The implementation of the scheme exceeded the target of 80 self-help groups by forming 120 self-help groups.

Disbursement of loans: Meetings were organized pertaining to the disbursement of loans to the Self-Help Group clients and to discuss modalities of loan disbursement and the repayment. Loans were sanctioned on the basis of grading of groups. In year2003, 37 SHG groups covering 160 persons were sanctioned bank loans worth Rs. 9.5 lakhs.