Unity is Strength

Sandhya was married into a conservative poor family. Bound by restrictions and the four corners of her home, she hardly stepped out of the house after her marriage. When she did, she practised purdah. She never knew what happened outside the village. She never knew what it was to have a bank account or be employed.

Sandhya’s family was going through a bad phase. Her husband was unemployed; they fell short of food at home; her mother in-law was ill. They had to take a loan from a local money lender at 10% interest to sustain the family. Days passed and her husband still couldn’t find a job. Their debt kept increasing. They were hungry and broke and soon lost the will to live.

One day, a woman in their village heard about Sandhya’s problems and told her about Self Help Groups. Sandhya decided to give it a try. The SHG women understood her problems and immediately helped her with food. A month later they helped her again with Rs.1000 which reduced her family’s debt.  Sandhya felt a little secure and confident now.  She decided to borrow Rs. 5,000 and repaid all her loans. Next, she borrowed Rs.7000 and bought a buffalo, which started giving her regular income of Rs.3000.  A few months later, she borrowed Rs.10000 and opened a grocery store in her village.

Looking back at her dark days, Sandhya feels her SHG not only helped her family financially, but also changed her attitude and approach to life. She doesn’t practice purdah anymore. She is a post bearer in her SHG and goes to the bank herself to handle her group’s accounts. She feels empowered, confident and happy. Her husband, who once restricted her freedom, now helps her with her work and listens to her! He’s grateful for the support the SHG gave them and strongly advocates the idea of building unity among rural women through the SHG system!