Pragati (Progress)with Saras Aajeevika Mela at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi....

Pragati (Progress)with Saras Aajeevika Mela at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi.....

Saras, means something which is the best and excellent, it is not only beautiful but also made with skill. Saras Aajeevika is also the name given to the exhibition and sale of products made by women of the self help groups of NRLM.
NRLM works for the empowerment of women through self help groups. The women who are capacitated through social and financial inclusion leading to sustainable livelihoods produce or create several goods. Providing backward and forward linkages for marketing to these groups is one of the key interventions done by NRLM. The Saras Aajeevika Mela is one such initiative. The Saras Mela which began at Delhi from today will be there till 7th March 2019 at the hall no.7, 10 and 11 of Pragati Maidain.
Delhi is not only a city of connoisseurs but also has patrons visiting various exhibitions. Year after year crowds throng to the IITF or Surajkund Mela or any other crafts mela. They should certainly visit #aajeevika Saras because it show cases unique handcrafted and handmade products made by 700 women artisans. Secondly, there will be a lot of variety as all the states and union territories would be participating in it. The third reason of course would be the fact that most of these products would not be easily available in Delhi.
Twelve groups of women have come from Maharashtra with a variety of products including soaps, cosmetics, textiles, food products, spices, handicrafts and footwear.
Three groups have different kinds of spices that includes a variety of masala and pickles from Kolhapur and Satara. Original Kolhapuri chappals, footwear from Kolhapur. Cashews, Mango pulp, shell items and bamboo handicrafts from Sindhudurg. The oil of kokum from Sindhudurg is worth trying as it heals cracked heels. Another interesting product is the goat milk soap and goat milk cold cream from Wardha which promises clear transluscent skin. Colourful kurtis and nighties would be worth buying.
Ghongdis, which are thick , heavy health friendly blankets would be extremely useful. Though the material maybe coarse it will certainly make your warm in winters and cool in summers apart from driving away all the aches and pains. Delicious chikki different from the north Indian gazak made from groundnut, musk melon seeds and flax seeds and the yummy Bhakar Wadi were most tempting. There are different grains and millet along with bright dry red chillies to zing to your life. Paintings to beautify your house and jewellery to pep up your look. All of this is on display and for sale at Saras Aajeevika.
The women from others states have also brought several interesting products.at the exhibition. 
Kudumbashree, the SRLM from Kerala will set up a catering service for selling delicious food.
A visit to Saras Aajivika mela will therefore not leave you disappointed it has  something in it for everyone. So pick up your bags and rush to shop. What stops you from making yourself and the rural women also happy....Be Saras and Buy Saras....

Woman : thy name is generosity....MSRLM SHGs contributing to Bharat ke Veer Fund

Woman : thy name is generosity....
MSRLM SHGs contributing to Bharat ke Veer Fund

Two decades ago in school we learnt a Hindi poem, " Choti Choti Jal Ki boondein Sagar ko bhar deti Hain, Baalu ki rujj nanhi nanhi sudhar bhumi rach deti hain...".
This poem was a tribute to every small contribution made by the smallest particle on this earth which leads to a bigger world. This Maxim became a true life experience for me when at the call of the Honorable Minister for Rural Development of Maharashtra, Ms.Pankaja Munde, we set out to contribute voluntarily to the noble cause of Bharat ke Veer.
The recent terrorist attack at Pulwama led to the creation of Bharat ke Veer, a fundraising initiative by the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. This allows donation upto Rs.15 lakhs from an individual to the Bharat ke Veer Corpus.
An appeal was made to all our officials and staff members to voluntarily and generously contribute to the Bharat ke Veer fund.
This information as an appeal was also communicated to all members of the SHGs, VOs and CLFs of Maharashtra State Rural Livelihoods Mission, MSRLM Umed with the request to donate voluntarily as per their mite.
The response we received within 24 hours from the remotest villages from all over the state was phenomenal. Over 3500 cheques amounting to Rs.58 lakhs were received only to reflect the generosity of the poorest.
Handing over this amount to the Hon'ble Hon'ble Minister Ms. Pankaja Munde and from her to the Hon'ble Chief Minister and renowned actor, Akshay Kumar was a befitting tribute to the cause.
MSRLM works for the empowerment of
women through self help groups. Social and financial inclusion leading to sustainable livelihoods is the most important aspect of this program which ensures that the poorest of the poor are included in it.
The women in these self help groups work for a transparent, accountable, sensitive rural society.They had certainly set an example by donating to the cause through the cheques they sent. The stupendous response to the request made by the Hon'ble Minister to contribute voluntarily to the cause, matching it with their generosity speaks words of their stature, their mental strength.
On their way to overcome their own poverty or even out of it, they were connected so strongly with patriotism towards the country that all the  SHGs didnt hesitate to donate generously for the noble cause.
As Hon'ble Minister, Ms. Pankaja Munde, handed over the cheques to the Hon'ble Chief Minister and renowned actor, Mr. Akshay Kumar, I felt reverent to every single woman from the SHGs of MSRLM Umed who had made this possible. Truly every small effort leads to the larger goal.
My head could only bow in gratitude.

Day of love.....Days of love

Day of love....Days of love

Today is the day of love.....Valentine's day.....On second thoughts, does love need a day, a time or an occassion? Isn't it the most sublime of all emotions to be shared profusely and abundantly with everyone.? Wasn't it love we experienced from the time we were in the womb of our mother, cared for and protected? And then after we were born, every second of our lives was filled with unconditional love from parents, grandparents, siblings, family and friends.
Nobody could fall short of fondling us, cootchycooing, keeping us humoured.
As we grew up further whether at home, in school or society, the love continued as we conformed to the norms. When we digressed from them, it was love which brought us back even if we were chided. Such love may not have been vocal or public in display but it carried with it great depths of feelings.
Having studied in a convent I was familiar with the legend attributed to St. Valentine. He had sacrificed his life and become a martyr for the cause of love, to behold the ceremony of marriage and the institution of family. Legend mentions three such saints who worked for the cause. With time, in memory of love and the feelings associated with the martyrdom, people began celebrating Valentine's day on 14th February. It gradually became a day for exchanging love messages, poems and simple gifts such as flowers.
I remember my school days, almost 35 years ago when hardly many knew about this day. We used to celebrate it as a festival of love for all in our convent. Neither did it get converted into week long celebrations of Rose day, Propose Day, Chocolate day, Teddy day leading to promises, kisses, hugs and ultimately to Valentine's day with all the multinational companies laughing their way to the banks.
Essentially what does it take to confess love, a pure mind and heart. And truly speaking can we restrict love singularly to that man-woman relationship? Aren't there so many more relationships which bring out this feeling and engulf us with love? And what about our work or our studies, aren't we passionate about that? So many of us derive pleasure from an assignment completed or well done. Look at our scientists, explorers, sportspersons, engineers, administrators or any professional for that matter, isn't it love and passion for work which drives them? Or an artist who pours his heart to create a thing of beauty? Can love be restricted to one day, one relationship? It is beyond such servitude. It is free, unfettered and uncontrollable and can only give joy. The aberrations may lead to other base feelings which can certainly be overcome because ultimately it is love and hope which gives us the strength to move forward.
For me love is in the air, the water, the light everything which encompasses earth at all times. Even in the darkness one can see and feel love as one reaches out to another to offer help and light a lamp. A feeling which elevates us, inspires us so much, fills us with conviction and confidence needs to be celebrated everyday. So much more to St.Valentine, life and love....

From Tractors, to Mushrooms and explosives : The diverse enterprises of SHGs in MSRLM Umed

From Tractors, to Mushrooms and explosives : The diverse enterprises of SHGs in MSRLM Umed

Imagine a village in which a group of women are empowered enough to buy a tractor and learn to drive it, a village where one woman is a mushroom entrepreneur and another is a group of women working in an enterprise manufacturing explosives. The wonders that MSRLM Umed creates due to the capacity building of women through SHGs is there for us to witness and applaud.
It was extremely heartening for me to see diverse enterprises in Sarvadi village of Karanja block in Wardha district where I had gone for a field visit.
As soon as we reached the village , I met Ms. Rasika from Pardhi village. She was bubbling with excitement. And why not! She and her group had purchased a tractor worth Rs. 4.15 lakhs with the subsidy of Rs.3.15 lakhs they received from the Department of Social Justice, topped with an investment of Rs.60,000 from the CIF. The Secretary of the SHG, Sonu Deshbhratar happily shared that they had made their contribution of Rs.40, 000 too.
She and her group were now a proud owner of a tractor. They would be using it for their fields and also earn money by letting it out on hire. Handing over the keys of the tractor purchased through such convergence gave me great pleasure.
I was then taken to Ms.Aditi Rajubhau Raakas's home. I was taken aback to see a room in her house converted to a mushroom unit. This was an individual activity with an investment of Rs.9,500 with a loan taken from the CIF. She had plucked three harvests by now and made a profit of Rs.29000/-.
She enthused that she has learnt the art of growing mushrooms where seedlings were planted in wet soya husk and covered with polythene which was cut once the mushrooms germinated and started growing. She then collected these oyster mushrooms and sold them wet or dry. Being close to the highway she capitalised on the hotels there. From an investment of just Rs.9500 she would be earning more than ten times that is upto Rs. 60000 or more.
When I went to the office of the Village Organisation in the village, I was in for a greater surprise. From food products to food grains, wooden handicrafts, wollen artefacts, compost and neem oil, many goods to be sold were on display.
Sushila Ambaadas Nihaare , the Pashu sakhi sharing her experience stated that when she joined Umed a couple of years ago she had one sheep. Today she has a flock of 40 sheep. The chicks in her backyard poultry grew from one to six. She also has a cow which gives almost 5 to 6 litres of milk which she sells after consumption. Her economic growth has therefore been good. She is able to earn more than a lakh of rupees from all these avenues. Her services as a Pashu Sakhi to the community also gives her Commission. It has also enabled Pashu Palaks to see a growth in the numbers of their sheep upto 400.
Saarika, the Krishi Sakhi is equally exuberant with the agricultural services she offers. Doubling up as a agricultural guide and a provider of organic manure like neemastra, brahmaastra she earns good money as well as gets a good yield. The food grains and fruits or vegetables are organic and therefore good for health. She says the Mahila Kisan Sashaktikaran Pariyojana MKSP has been a boon for women farmers.
As a practice , I normally discuss the importance of Dashasutri, the need to maintain and update books of accounts regularly. After doing that I shared the importance of insurance specially the PMBSY, PMJJY and the Atal Pension Yojana. The investment of just Re.1 per month for PMBSY or just about Rs. 30 per month for PMJJY could be a great blessing if due to any unforeseen accident, disablity or death of the person occurs,  the bereaved family could receive Rs.2 lakhs as sum insured. With a commitment from the women that they would work on all aspects of the Dashasutri I left for my last stop in the village.
To my surprise it turned out to be a unit with 17 women working on 17 machines to string wires together for detonators or explosives of the company CDET Explosives based at Pulgaon.
The unit comprises of 35 women from Shram Village Organisation, working in alternate shifts and managed by a Suoervisor, Ms. Netra Ghagre who is the VO President. They earn about 300 /- per day as wages for making bundles of wires and capping them with plugs. These wires are used in explosion of CAD camp which is the 2nd largest storage depot in Asia
(Central Ammunition Depot)
The Supervisor lamented that lack of space hindered their growth or they could have employed many more ladies as there was great demand for this work. However that was something they would have to figure out.
For me the experience that in one small village of Karanja block women were engaged in such diverse activities was encouraging. Also the fact that the  vision of the mission was being achieved could be an example which many more would follow.

A step towards Financial Inclusion : SBI's Customer Service Point at Taroda in Wardha district.....

A step towards Financial Inclusion: SBI's Customer Service Point at Taroda in Wardha district.....

Taroda, a small village in Aarvi block of Wardha district is on the threshold of complete  financial services. The 800 odd houses in the village will now have a Customer Service Point set up by the Sate Bank of India which will be providing a whole host of services.
On my visit to Wardha, the District Mission Manager Swati Wankhede was her bubbly self as she took me to the village.
MSRLM works for the empowerment of women through self help groups. Financial inclusion is an important aspect and it has trained community women as Bank Sakhis and Financial Literacy CRPs. Wardha has about 200 such women who are being promoted as Business Correspondents of banks like IDFC and SBI-CSP. Wardha district has established inter operable Micro- ATM points engaging Bank Sakhis, VO accountants and other cadre which act as the last mile financial access points to a large number of under-banked and un- banked population, particularly in semi-urban and rural areas. These micro ATM offers public financial access infrastructure; wherein customers can withdraw amounts under various DBT program using either their Aadhaar number linked Bank account (AEBS) or using their uPay/Visa/MasterCard debit card, through any IDFC bank interoperable Micro ATM points or Umed – SBI CSP (Customer Service Point). It give accesse to withdraw their wages for MGNREGA, pension under NSAP, subsidy for LPG or payment of electricity bills and basic financial services using their Aadhar linked bank accounts/ ATM Cards. Wardha already has 4 SBI-CSP centre.
I had the fortune of inaugurating the customer service point at Taroda village which is almost 12 kms away from the branch of State Bank of India.
I was welcomed by Banjara women wearing traditional costume and jewellery and was told that a large number of people from the Banjara community were residents of the village. As a part of the welcome, I was also made to wear the traditional headgear. The women sang a welcome song in the traditional Banjara dialect. It conveyed the  social message about the importance of education. They also sang laurels about the contributions of Shri.Vasantrao Naik, the fourth Chief Minister of Maharashtra who belonged to the Banjara Community. It was truly inspiring to hear them sing in unison. Thereafter we proceeded to inaugurate the customer service point.
Ms.Ranjana Jadhav, Banking Correspondent (BC) eagerly waiting for me with her computer, printer and the operating system.
She explained to me that the centre would cater to 22 financial services.
These included opening a new bank account, withdrawal and deposit of money using Aadhaar card, money transfer, fixed deposit, R.D.Account, Atal Pension Scheme, insurance schemes like PMBSY, PMJJY, payment of utilities like electricity bill, purchase of train ticket or air ticket purchase and GST Registration.
She was really excited to have this opportunity and was well prepared as she studied upto Standard 12th.
SBI had provided her with the necessary training for the same.
She took great pride in demonstrating one deposit and withdrawal of cash transaction. She said it was safe as it was aadhaar enabled with biometrics and took us through the steps of identification and verification. Account holders of SBI could withdraw or deposit money upto Rs.20,000/- . The account holders of other banks had a limit of Rs.5,000/-. A transaction fee of one percent or Rs.10/- whatever was more would be charged for the transaction. She felt happy that she would be helping the villagers with banking and also earn money by way of commission through these services.
The villagers were also very happy that they would not have to travel long distance for their banking needs. Doorstep banking was the new mantra and would be very convenient and useful for them and for 3 villages nearby.
For the bank it was the best way to reach out to the unreached without investing in infrastructure or human resources. A win win situation for both the bank and the customer, the BC model for banking through SHGs is worth replicating. As more and more women get empowered through social and financial inclusion providing them with opportunities for such livelihoods is also worth appreciating as well as propagating.

Toilets, Sanitation and institutional finance....

Toilets, Sanitation and institutional finance....

Loans and EMIs have become a way of life for the modern urban couple. From homes to two-wheelers and three-wheelers or various businesses they have tailormade options for all. But loans for toilets, bathrooms, sanitation? How many banks or institutions think of this, conceptualise it, make it possible and support it? Financing for Self-help groups is a challenge by itself and under such circumstances financing for water and sanitation, specifically for toilets and bathrooms to SHGs is a bigger challenge.
Water.org has been working for this since 2004 when it first launched the concept of water credit in Tamil Nadu. It also piloted the idea of the revolving water loan. Till date it has facilitated about 1. 7 million loans through banks and other institutions in sixteen states and two union territories. In addition, Water.org had also been facilitating policy changes to promote credit financing for water and sanitation.  It's efforts fructified in 2014 when these loans were included as a product under the Priority Sector Lending (PSL) category for Banks.
Women+Water Alliance  represented by GAP Inc. have partnered with Water.org for this cause.  As an productive alliance of CARE, GAP, USAID, ISC and Water.org have been supporting and funding the program of credit linkage for WASH, water and sanitation with MSRLM UMED.
Maharashtra State Rural Livelihoods Mission works for the empowerment of women through self help groups. It has more than 3.5 lakh SHGs over 38 lakh households in its fold. It propagates, Dashasutri, the 10 Cardinal principles of regular meetings, savings, internal lending, repayment of loans, writings books of accounts leading to sustainable livelihoods. Health, sanitation and nutrition is one of the most important sutra among the 10 sutras. MSRLM Umed has also been a part of the Swacch Bharat Mission and supported in the construction of individual as well as community toilets. The SHGs also work for behaviour change and awareness of various aspects of sanitation, clean drinking water and menstrual hygiene.
Households which have been included in socio-economic census were provided financial support of Rs.12000 for construction of toilets by the government. However processing of loans took time also there were several households outside the SECC data which needed financial support. MSRLM tried to support such households from the stimulus funds under Convergence or through its community loans. However that too was not sufficient.
It was therefore important to sensitise banks with this concept.
Water.org and W+W alliance came up with this unique proposal to work in 6 districts, of Yavatmal, Jalna, Solapur, Nandurbar, and Thane of Maharashtra for promotion of wash loans  and on assessing its importance it was taken up immediately by MSRLM. 
WASH credit financing propagates providing loans to SHG members to build toilets and add on a bathroom, get household water connections, water filters, repair and retrofitting of existing toilets.
Till date over 6000 people in the SHGs of MSRLM have been made aware. 137 water loans have been disbursed and 1227 loans for sanitation amounting to Rs. 1.2 crores have been accessed by households as a part of this project.
Despite this  banks have still not absorbed the value associated with giving loans for sanitation and therefore linkages for WASH through banks still remain a challenge.
It is an uphill task but visiting the villages along with a team of officials from the state and district, bankers, Water.org and GAP inc to interact with those who had availed loans and benefited from the scheme was inspiring.
The W+W alliance team interacted with the SHGs and VO at Khubgaon village, in Arvi block of Wardha district. The SHG members of this village were trained for WASH and water credit and many have taken loans for the same.
We met Mrs. Namrata Tirke, who took a loan of Rs.20, 000 to construct a toilet. Ms.Sheela Raut, has gone a step further and took a loan to build a second toilet for her daughter-in-law's comfort. Ms. Sheela Mokalkar could get  a water connection with a loan of Rs.15000. Ms. Ratna Patil.made a bathroom and also got a tap connection. Mrs. Manirama took a loan for a water connection and filter. Several other women have taken loans for the cause. Loans are provided for rainwater harvesting also.
Interactions with members of the Sukhakarta Gram Sangh, Khupgaon was very inspiring as Trishila the Community Training Consultant shared the progress of the SHG and the VO with the team. Ms.Rani, CAM, Vrushali tai, the CRP, Maahure Tai the
CLF Manager all spoke about the benefits of the programme. They emphasised on the improvement in their quality of life and the confidence they gained fur to MSRLM Umed.
Due to the effort of the health, nutrition and sanitation programme of Umed they understood the value of breastfeeding, complementary feeding. balanced diet, iron supplements, nutri garden , cleanliness, use of toilets, washing hands, clean drinking water.
Their Village organisation had
19 SHGs in it, an amount of Rs.3 lakhs as Community Investment Fund and Rs.48000 as balance in their bank account. Their SHGs were having various enterprises for sustainable livelihoods. The team also visited their households to see the toilets which had been constructed.
Ms.Suman Manohar Kuite insisted on visiting her household to see the workshop where her son Praveen is a Moortikaar and makes idols of Gods and Goddesses. They had set up this unit with the support of the bank. Their living room had idols of various shapes and sizes and she enthusiastically shared the talents of her son as an artist. There was a certain aura around the place and as we left her home after absorbing that aura, I silently prayed that more and more bankers become sensitive to the cause of women empowerment and facilitate loan not only for enterprises but also for sanitation and water. The cause for which MSRLM Umed and Water.org were working for would only then witness significant growth.

Mahalakshmi Saras and Amma.....

Mahalakshmi Saras and Amma.....

The 17th Mahalakshmi Saras, the largest exhibition and sale of products made by Self-help groups in Maharashtra held annually every year at Mumbai ended day before yesterday and with it the flurry of activity. I felt a sudden vacuum.
The exhibition of products made by self help groups of women from the MSRLM and the SRLMs of other states and NABARD did take up a lot of our time. Most of us had to be there all day and many times at night but there was a great deal of satisfaction seeing the terrific response. Huge crowds patronising the various products was so encouraging. Professionally , I was on a high. Mentally perhaps I was low many times.
Last year this time my mother had been hospitalised with sudden ailment at Hyderabad and I had rushed there to be with her. She became critical as days passed and ultimately left for Vaikuntam. There has been a huge void in my life ever since then. So many things, moments, occasions are associated with her as a person. Mahalakshmi Saras will remain to be the most important among them.
Preparations for the Saras begin months before the event and takes a lot of our time. Last year was no different. On one evening when I was at the ground reviewing the progress of the installation of the pandals and stalls, my mother insisted on going to Mulund, our home to meet my son. I told her I was away and would take time to come but she probably had a premonition of time slipping by and said she would go to meet him even if I was away. I caught up with her on their way back and took her to meet our Acharya, Srimad Azhagiyasingar, who was also at Mumbai during that time. Something was surely amiss because she called my sister from Hyderabad thereafter and even decided on going to stay with her for a change of place.
Much to my surprise she also came to Mahalakshmi Saras thrice before she left for Hyderabad and made a lot of purchases. Hailing from a remote village of Kumbakonam in Tamilnadu, she took great pride in the fact that my work was for the empowerment of women from rural Maharashtra. The fact that it was those empowered women who were selling their handmade products at Mahalakshmi Saras made her more happy and she goaded me to buy many things whether food, food products, spices, jewellery and sarees. I therefore ended buying a lot many things last year.
When preparations for Mahalakshmi Saras began this year it therefore became extremely difficult for me not to miss her. Shopping became specially difficult so I made my staff pick up most of the home made products which I essentially needed for my home.
It was only on the last day I rushed through the stalls to pick up.a couple of sarees for the ensuing wedding of my nephew.
Generosity was her forte. She gave away things and gifts very easily to all of us and specially to the poor and the needy. True to her name Lakshmi she was benevolent like Godess Lakshmi. No wonder on her first death anniversary as per tradition the daughters get new clothes and my father asked me to purchase sarees from Mahalakshmi Saras. It was really difficult and I was teary eyed.
The sales at the exhibition and the response this year was phenomenal . The support we received from everyone has been noteworthy as if my mother's desire to promote the cause seeped in everywhere. Surely blessings of Mahalakshmi Devi of Mumbai had made it possible.
It is her anniversary today and the vacant MMRDA ground like an abyss reminded me of her in more than one way. I still feel that she is around and would come out of her room in her inimitable style, fully in command demanding attention. Maybe time would heal my heart.
Amma will not return for sure but Mahalakshmi Saras would come every year and add joy to everyone 's life specially to the rural women. For me , like the umbilical cord the connect would always remain.....