Life changes for Trinathbasti women

There was a time when women had to wear veils and stay indoors. In a male dominated society, their illiteracy and low status prevented them from improving their situation. Poverty compelled them to borrow money from moneylenders, who visited their homes and made them pay very high interest rates.

This was the situation when Plan India’s Partner, the Centre for Youth and Social Development (CYSD) started working with women in the urban slum area of Bhubaneshwar in Orissa. They encouraged women to form small savings groups for their own benefit. They trained them in managing money and the women started to run the Self-Help Groups themselves.

The saved money is shared among members and some is spent on community development activities. An assessment showed the needs of small businesses like tailoring, grocery shop, betel shop, bakery, cloth shop and a fish business. CYSD/Plan helped the groups to set criteria to select the beneficiaries, norms for loan repayment and other rules and regulations. Accordingly, 49 most needed families were selected to receive loans of between Rs. 3,000 and 10,000.

Today these enthusiastic women remain veiled but there are determined. They don’t depend on moneylenders any more. They not only solved their monetary problems, but through their unity and determination they solved community problems like individual quarrels, family and community conflicts.

The women gained confidence and have become community leaders. The men watch with awe and admire the changes in the women.