Recognition, acknowledgement and acceptance....

Recognition, acknowledgement and acceptance....

Today was a big day for the women of the self help groups of the National Rural Livelihoods Mission. They were directly interacting with the Hon"ble Prime Minister of the country.
Ever since it was announced that the Hon'ble Prime Minister would be interacting with the SHGs through the PM Samwaad, there was a lot of excitement.
Umed MSRLM has been working for the empowerment of women by creation of self help groups and enabling them through social and financial inclusion and sustainable livelihoods. A lot of effort has been made by the state, district and block teams to achieve this goal. More than 2 lakh SHGs have been created and over 33 lakh households have associated with this scheme in Maharashtra. Over 5 lakh livelihoods have been generated, financing of over Rs. 4000 crores through banks and income generation of over Rs.500 crores has also been possible.
The mission is moving from strength to strength in generating enterprises, creating producer groups and value chains and by enabling the creation of over 3 lakh women farmers.
These women have reached a new threshold of economic independence and self- confidence. It was therefore most opportunate that the Hon'ble Prime Minister chose to interact with the SHG women directly. Two members of the SHG including one pashu sakhi and an entrepreneur and one student of DDUGKY from Maharashtra got the opportunity to interact with the Hon'ble Prime Minister. They were from Yawatmal, Wardha and Nagpur respectively and were stationed in the NIC office in Yawatmal District.
The enthusiasm of the women from SHGs to listen to the interaction of three persons from their own clan with the Hon'ble Prime Minister was such that about 20 lakh women assembled at various places including Community Service Centres, Gram Panchayat, Block and District offices and at centres of DDUGKY.
We were also stationed at our office, waiting with baited breathe to see them intearct.
It was a matter of great pride for us that the SHG women from Maharashtra had got this opportunity.
The Hon'ble Prime Minister began the dialogue acknowledging the energy, determination and the ability of women to create groups and work as a team. Their strengths could be the base of studies of universities. The team spirit, tolerance and ability of women could be a source of inspiration for many. Women are excellent examples of managers as they manage their homes, time and finances. They are the best agriculturists and pashu paalaks, leading to the growth of the dairy and milk production. Given the right opportunity, they can do wonders.
NRLM was working towards giving them that opportunity and making them economically independent. It was therefore possible for them to work for the upliftment of society and fight against the vices or anomalies in societies.
He congratulated those working in the districts who were enabling this. He was happy that 45 lakh SHGs have been created and over 5 crores of family were benefiting through it in the country. The SHG movement had created an additional source of income for the family. 
The SHGs had multiplied 4 fold during the last 4 years incorporating multiple skills of diversifying agriculture, enterprise, marketing and skills through intensive training. And all this without formal education.
Amrita Devi from a SHG in Bihar, has prospered personally through loans she could access. She along with 200 women has formed a company for collectivisation of maize and together they have successfully eliminated the middleman trader who would exploit them.
A tribal from Rajnandgaon of Chattisgarh,
Smt. Meena Maanjhi and her group of 12 SHGs make bricks. They have made more than 1.5 lakhs of bricks and earned over Rs.4.5 lakh rupees. Their bricks are purchased by the Gram Panchayat and used for government schemes like the Pradhan Mantri Aawaas Yojana , Swacch Bharat. The Hon'ble PM mentioned that the profit was possible since most of the work was done by the SHG women and that was the strength of the SHG.
Throughout the country SHGs were undertaking different activities through the support and capacity building being done by NRLM. 33 lakh women farmers have been trained through the Mahila Kisan Sashaktikaran Pariyojana. Community Livelihoods Resource Persons were giving support 24x7 in the villages. Many were benefitting from the value chain approach in products like maize, mango.  Government was providing the required support in agriculture and vegetable production. Whether lac bangles or bricks women were being successful. Several products were being sold in the 122 Bihaan outlets. Women were even driving E-rickshaws in naxal-affected Chattisgarh and other remote places not only improving communication but also getting a source of income.
Shudha Baghel of MP overcame her poverty and now earns over a lakh of rupees from goatery and sale of lac bangles. Her children are studying in a boarding school and she herself is inspired to appear for the 10th exam almost thirteen years after she left her studies.
This is the power of Aajeevika, NRLM. Their group was working for sanitation through packaging of sanitary napkins, making phenyl, hand wash etc.
Rekha Girase who had never seen a bank nor transacted in banks, now works as a Bank Sakhi on commission basis and has facilitated opening of over 1000 Pradhan Mantri Jan dhan Yojana accounts with transactions of over Rs.3.5 crores.
Vandana Kushwaaha from Bardwaani took training as a beautician in the R- Seti and has set up a beauty parlour. She has overcome her fears and gained confidence and earns over Rs.8000. She has also become a trainer in the R-Seti.
Revati Saagar skilled in hospitality through DDUGKY earns over Rs.20,000/- now.
The Hon"ble Prime Minister emphasised how DDUGKY and R-Seti 's were bringing about a change in the lives of rural youth of the country through skilling for employment and self-employment. Over 600 Project Implementation Agencies (PIAs) were training 28 lakh youth out of which about 20 lakh had been placed. SHG women are also working as Bank Sakhis, improving banking and have transacted over Rs.350 crores.
SHGs from Dungarpur of Rajasthan formed the Cluster level federation and shared the unique solar project through which they make solar lamps and panels. The Hon"ble Prime Minister suggested them to see the website of 1 litre bulb and learn from it.
Kanakadurga SHG of Warangal, Telangana stated that they had learnt Hindi, visted over 8 states and trained them in the movement as External CRPs. The SHG had given their leader the strength to come out of a broken marriage with a drunkard husband. The SHG had given the confidence to speak on many forums including the Samwaad with the Hon'ble PM and she was grateful to it.
Seeing the Pashu Sakhi from Maharashtra interacting with the Hon"ble Prime Minister was a matter of pride. Ranjana Kamdi from Yawatmal came from a poor family of Ghatanji Block and joined the SHG in 2015. She initially had one goat but her flock grew through the loans she took and she now has over 40 goats. She became a Pashu Sakhi and got trained through the Mission. She now provides services as a Pashu Sakhi and earns income. She also sells pashu chaat, daana mishran, herbal balls, does deworming and vaccination and earns money. She also doubles up as a master trainer and has a goat kid nursery. This has made it possible for her to earn over Rs.2 lakh annually1. Her status in society has improved as her husband is known as a doctor and she is referred to as Madam. Her products of goat milk soap, paneer and ice cream and their novelty fascinated the Hon"ble Prime Minister.
Lakshmi Amol Shende of Shindemeghe in Wardha shared her success through paapad business. She was from a poor family and had a hand to-mouth existence. She and her husband would make paapads and sell door to door. Her life transformed after she joined the SHG. She took a loan an expanded her business. She now employs 10 people, makes a variety of paapads and sells home to home and also at different places. She is thankful to the Mission for educating them about packaging, branding and this transformation.
For me, the show stealer was Sonu Mandhre from Nagpur, who was a demotivated school drop out from 11th standard. She got the opportunity to learn voice BPO through DDUGKY at Dhatri Foundation and is now working in Megas Dialogue company in Hyderabad. She has helped in repaying the loan of her father, bought a bike for her brother and arranged funds for her sister's wedding. She wished to be an inspiration for others which the Hon'ble Prime Minister felt she already was. He also stated that 2 lakh CRPs were transforming lives of the community. DAY NRLM also propagated bank financing and the Hon'ble Prime Minister expressed great satisfaction that the SHG women had an excellent repayment capacity of almost 99 per cent.
Government was also making markets available through Saras Melas so that SHGs could market their products at the correct price. He also encouraged women to register on the government GeM portal and sell their products through it.
Gujarat SHG representative Lakshmi spoke  about the successful Nimbori , neem coated urea.
Rajasthan SHGs shared the, custard apple( Sitafal ) value chain and artificial jewellery business.
SHG from Jammu and Kashmir spoke about the strength through SHGs. They did business of cow rearing, vegetables, dairy, wool etc. The Hon"ble Prime Minister suggested use of trimmer for shearing of sheep as it would make the process easy and give longer length of wool.
For him each story was inspiring. Women have the innate potential and there were several such women waiting for support to grow. One needed to keep an open mind to support them. Sometimes people could demotivate but women must not lose hope and never give up the path to righteousness. They should work hard to take the country, their own self and family forward .
The mission gives strength and energy, inspiration and confidence and they should grow through it. There were several more stories which could be shared on his app. The dialogue ended with best wishes but the excitement in the lives of the women who interacted with the Hon'ble Prime Minister would remain forever.
Perhaps this was greatest achievement in their lives in terms of direct access to administration, to be able to interact with the Hon'ble Prime Minister. Or it was the culmination of their growth and self development which gave them the confidence.
NRLM aims at social inclusion and that feeling of inclusive growth shone brightly from each woman who spoke. Acceptance in society, acknowledgment of one's work and recognition is what we all strive for and that was given to them by none other than the Hon'ble Prime Minister!