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Vimukti : Bankal
BACKGROUND OF THE
PROJECT:
The Bankal project is located in the backward villages of Mudigere
Taluka of Chickmagalur District in Karnataka (India). Chickmagalur
district is located in the south-western part of Karnataka State
where Western Ghats Mountain Ranges cover a part of the district
commonly known as Malnad region. It is covered by Udupi, Dakshina
Kannada, Shimoga and Hassan districts. The district is well-known
for its hills, hillocks and coffee estates. In general the status of
women is below satisfaction, it is even worse among the lower
castes. Being an estate area, the opportunities for women are
traditionally defined. These women are illiterate and are not
exposed to the outside world. Rural women need to be organized for
any social change. Through consultation with the Gram Panchayat
authorities, local leaders, women representatives, chief executive
of the taluk Pachayat and villages visit, we came to know that they
do not know the concept of Self Help Groups or women empowerment.
With the support of the community we came forward to frame the SHGs
and thus plan strategies for their Development.
The Mudigere area is 1,162 sq. kms. According to the 2001 census the
total population is 1,41, 415 comprising of 25,065 families. The
population of the rural area is around 1, 12, 692. Out of which 32,
324 are of Scheduled Castes and 12, 886 are of Scheduled Tribe. Out
of this 60,200 are daily wage earners and 2,287 are partially daily
workers. 65,950 are involved in some mixed trade. The density of
population is 110 per sq. kms. The total number of villages in the
Taluka is 138 under 29 village Panchayats. There are two
municipalities.
THE PLIGHT OF WOMEN:
Mudigere taluk as it is mentioned earlier belongs to the Western
Ghats Mountain Ranges. Due to the heavy rain and the cool
atmosphere, coffee, tea, cardamom, pepper and rice are grown. There
are two types of classes found i.e., the rich are the estate owners
mostly coffee planters and the people who are laborers in these
estates 45, 210 of them belong to the lower caste and they remain in
the colonies provided by the planters. In the communities the women
suffers the most. The rate of literacy in general is poor and among
them the women are always deprived of education. The work in the
Coffee estates begins at 7.30a.m. The tradition is that the mother
has to wake up early in the morning to prepare breakfast, meals for
her husband and school going children. When her coolie work gets
over at 4.30p.m, she has to come back home and do the daily chores.
The husband gets Rs.150/- as daily wages while the woman earns only
Rs. 100/- In this society the women have a low status in life. The
major part of the family responsibility is shouldered by the women.
In general the women are aware of their rights but to exercise them
legally or politically there is fear and threats within the society.
The women in the surveyed area do need an intervention of someone
who will empower them. They need to enjoy their rights and support
them to live in dignity and honour.
THE PROJECT'S INTERVENTION - BIRD'S EYE VIEW
The Capuchin Krishik Seva Kendra with the support of Andheri
Hilfe, works for the poor and marginalized in Mudigere Taluk with
the intention of providing a better standard of living for women and
children and there by to strive to build a better society. The
Project assists them to frame their own future through animation,
motivation, training and awareness programs. As a result today the
Project has 104 SHGs comprising of 1325 members. The programs are
the outcome of their discussion and decisions. The women are able to
explain the need of their families or the village. They discuss
various issues in the cluster meeting and plan for the
implementation of the same for the best interest of the each
individual member.
The well formed and organized SHGs can work wonders in the
community. It is the basic foundation for community development.
Soon after the formation of SHGs the Project gives training like
leadership, micro-finance activities, book keeping, handling
problems in groups, motivating the members to participate in SHG
programs, communication skills etc. As a result the Project has
built strong women federation. All these SHGs will come under 11
clusters. The cluster meetings are organized once in four months and
the members of SHGs discuss their problems and share their
achievements, with the intention of learning from each other. The
women have realized that collective action leads to better and
lasting results.
The Women come forward in SHGs, Cluster meetings and federation
programs. Their participation in Group activities is amazing and
they have learnt to express their views and opinions before any
audience. They know how to solve small problems and especially
financial transactions like savings, lending and repayment process.
Now the members have taken initiative in conducting programs,
trainings, inviting local guest for the program and to plan and
organize public programs.
To boost their self confidence and identify the organization has
conducted various events like sports and games, cultural competition
for SHG members. SHG women with the support of the Project have
themselves identified their talents, and have got the opportunity to
exhibit their talents at the time of many Women's Convention.
Mudigere Taluk is much quite backward and has limited scope for
income generating activities. Through exposures and the awareness
programs on income generating activities most of the women have
taken keen interest in vermicompost, mushroom cultivation, soap
making, ginger cultivation, organizing nurseries, piggery and petty
business. The project has conducted tailoring classes for the young
girls. This helps as an alternative occupation for some and for
others as income generating activity. It improves their knowledge,
skills and builds confidence in them.
The Project also trains SHG women in the Panchayat Raj. As a outcome
of this training there were 11 members who contested for election
and of which 5 were elected. Through all these programs the Project
has succeeded in giving better life to poor around Mudigere Taluk.
Rural Development is a process where people unitedly and voluntarily
struggle to liberate themselves from all forms of enslavement and to
create better living condition for themselves and for others.
Major Achievements of the Project:
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The SHG women's
collective strength and unity has motivated them to form 87
women and 22 men SHGs
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The SHG members
discusses on the village level, problems viz., alcoholism,
unemployment, illiteracy and collectively find solutions and
lobby for the rural schemes.
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Through sampoorna
sakasharatha adolna members have gained knowledge in reading and
writing skills
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Members are engaged
in self employment activities like, piggery, tailoring,
agriculture, petty business, poultry , coffee plantation etc.,
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SHG members have
availed themselves of SJRSY schemes
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Members have
applied for job cards under NREGA for which most of them have
received the job cards.
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The members have
already introspected their economic standard, deprivation of the
basic facilities like housing, water electricity etc.
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People have gained
the knowledge on the functioning of police department, their
services and how to deal with the minor complaints, dowry
annoyance, unofficial sale of liquor, child abuse cases etc.,
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The SHG members
take much interest on the health of family through joining
Janashri Insurance scheme and children have benefited by way of
scholarship
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The SHG members
have protested against the irregular power supply police of the
MESCOM
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The Members have
actively participated in Panchyat meeting and participate in the
village development discussion as it is their right.
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Adolescent camp
helped the young boys and girls to handle their adulthood, they
are matured enough to accept and respect the facts of human
growth,
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People are aware
about child rights and prevention of child abuse
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The SHG members
have learnt the varieties of innovative ways of preparing
nutritious food and ways and means to preserve them.
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Farmers have gained
knowledge on agricultural activities like multi crops,
cultivation, organic manure , scientific farming etc.,
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People protect
their environment by eradication of plastic use.
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Through cleanliness
campaign, people do keep their surrounding clean.
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Formation of
children's clubs help the children to exhibit their talent,
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The SHG members
through voluntary services show their interest in the
development of the society
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Letter campaign
awakened the government to repair the road which was in a
pathetic condition
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The SHG members,
when they were deprived of water supply, the women went to the
Panchayat office, shouted slogans, demanded to restore water
supply and protested for many hours. As a resulted within six
days water was restored by the Panchayat
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In Horatti Village
a ration shop owner was not distributing the food grains
regularly, so the SHG members went and protested and now the
whole village gets the correct measure of ration and oil
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The Members
unitedly went to the Panchayath and demanded the BPL card.
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In Sragudu some
people were selling spurious liquor. The members wrote one
memorandum which was duly signed and sent to the D.C. and put
and end to the sale.
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