Enterprising women set an example

Enterprising members of three self-help groups have become successful entrepreneurs by achieving a turnover of around Rs 7-8 lakh in Mysore district.

About six years ago, women from Hinakal and Shyanubhoga villages and Hunsur town in Mysore and Hunsur taluks formed self-help groups in each of their place. The group, led by Ahalya in Hinkal, named Sri Mururamma women’s self-help group sought the support and guidance of the Cauvery Grameena Bank. They took three loans — of Rs 80,000, Rs 1.50 lakh and Rs 2.5 lakh from the bank and initiated a number of small commercial activities suited to women members.

These included making pappad and other condiments, pickles, soap oil, bleaching power, tailoring, sale of clothes and vessels, and running ‘kirana’ shops. Successful business activities helped the members to clear off their loans they had taken from the bank.

To further build up their commercial activities, the women members borrowed Rs 6 lakh again from the bank, which included a subsidy of Rs 1.25 lakh and later cleared the balance amount of Rs 4.5 lakh within 16 months.

These commercial activities of the group helped them make a profit as well. After saving Rs 1.6 lakh, it has now achieved a turnover of Rs 6 lakh. Becoming one of the best self-help groups, it has bagged cash awards amounting to about Rs 22,000 and received a revolving fund of Rs 5,000 from the Women and Child Welfare Department of the state government. It made a turnover of Rs 10,000 in the recently-concluded Dasara Exhibition in Mysore by selling its products.

Similar was the success story of the two other self-help groups. The Nandini Sthree Shakthi Self-help Group led by Krishnaveni of Shyanubhogana village that borrowed Rs 2.5 lakh from Vijaya Bank under the SGSY scheme and started a rice mill, and making of food products and agarbathi.

After making a profit, it borrowed Rs 6 lakh from the Agricultural Service Co-operative Society last year and launched a unit, Vandana Agarbathi Manufactruing Women’s Co-operative Society. With these activitiers, they have achieved profit of Rs 4 lakh and a built-up capital of Rs 10 lakh. All its 25 members are busy with these businesses now.

The self-help group in Medar Block of Hunsur, led by Prema and Chikkathayamma took up making household articles from bamboo-like baskets and such other products. The Mururamma Self-help Group has achieved a profit of Rs 1 lakh.

All the three self-help groups have become a model for other women’s groups who can turn self-supporting.