TITLE:

Income Generation Program For Self-Help Groups In Neendoor Village

DATE:

January 10, 2001

DONOR:

Dr. Philip Chatham, Los Angeles, USA

SPONSORING AGENCY:

Kottayam Social Service Society (KSSS), Kerala, India.

IMPLEMENTING AGENCY:

Village Development Group (VDG), Neendoor, Kerala, India.

AID GIVEN:

Rs. 10,0000 (US$ 220.00)

PROJECT SUMMARY:

     A revolving fund for self-help groups organized by KSSS in Neendoor village to promote income generation activities by the group members.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION:

     Kottayam Social Service Society (KSSS), the social service department of the Catholic Diocese of Kottayam, has organized several self-help groups for people of low-income families in Neendoor village. These include self-help groups of women, widows, senior citizens, and handicapped. These groups meet regularly once in two weeks to discuss their issues, to learn from each other, and to work out solutions for their problems.

      All the groups in the village are coordinated along with the local unit of KSSS to form Village Development Group. This group consists of representatives of all self-help groups. They make long-term plans and coordinate activities for the development of all group members, groups, and the village.

      Each group has credit union in which the members deposit a small amount from their savings every month. The members take loam from the credit union for income generation programs. KSSS convinces all members who are capable to work to take up income generation activities on an individual or group basis. Thus many are now disposed to work and like to become money earners than remain dependants of others.

PROBLEM IDENTIFIED:

   Though the group members are now willing to work, there are not enough job opportunities for all. So KSSS promoted self-employment programs. However, the group members do not have enough funds to initiate the income generation programs.

ACTION PLAN:

    Agape Movement has provided Rs. 10,000 to the Village Development Group (VDG) through KSSS.  VDG received applications from self-help group members in Neendoor village. Out of many applications, 10 were selected as first recipients of Rs. 1,000 each as loan. They used it to start a new income generation programs or to upgrade their on going programs. They return Rs. 100 each every month. So the VDG gets Rs. 1,000 back every month and gives that as loan to the applicants in waiting list.

RESULTS:

    This revolving fund has become an incentive for many self-help group members to start new income generation programs. They include door-to-door sale of consumer goods, manufacturing and sale of food materials, tailoring etc. Some group members could improve their already started program with this help.

     People who mostly benefited from this program are women group members. Because women began to work, they began to generate additional small income in the family. This resulted in meeting the daily expenses and in developing the self-esteem of women.

STATEMENT OF ACCOUNTS:

PARTICULARS

From Agape Movement

To group members 1000x10

RECEIPTS

Rs. 10,000.00

PAYMENTS

 Rs.10,000.00

TITLE:

Income Generation Program For Self-Help Groups In Pachira, Veliyanad, Uzhavoor, and Cherpunkal Villages.

DATE:

January 11, 2001

DONOR:

Fr. Abraham Mutholathu Jacob, Los Angeles, USA

SPONSORING AGENCY:

Kottayam Social Service Society (KSSS), Kerala, India.

IMPLEMENTING AGENCY:

Village Development Groups (VDGs) of, Pachira, Veliyanad, Uzhavoor and Cherpunkal Villages in Kerala, India.

AID GIVEN:

Rs. 40,000 (US$ 880.00)

PROJECT SUMMARY:

     A revolving fund for self-help groups organized by KSSS in Pachira, Veliyanad, Uzhavoor and Cherpunkal Villages to promote income generation activities by the group members.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION:

     Kottayam Social Service Society (KSSS), the social service department of the Catholic Diocese of Kottayam, has organized several self-help groups for people of low-income families in Pachira, Veliyanad, Uzhavoor and Cherpunkal Villages. These include self-help groups of women, widows, senior citizens, unmarried girls, and handicapped. These groups meet regularly once in two weeks to discuss their issues, to learn from each other, and to work out solutions for their problems.

      All the groups in these villages are coordinated along with the local unit of KSSS to form Village Development Groups. These groups consists of representatives of all self-help groups. They make long-term plans and coordinate activities for the development of all group members, groups, and their village.

      Each group has credit union in which the members deposit a small amount from their savings every month. The members take loam from the credit union for income generation programs. KSSS convinces all members who are capable to work to take up income generation activities on an individual or group basis. Thus many are now disposed to work and like to become money earners than remain dependants of others.

PROBLEM IDENTIFIED:

   Though the group members are now willing to work, there are not enough job opportunities for all. So KSSS promoted self-employment programs. However, the group members do not have enough funds to initiate the income generation programs.

ACTION PLAN:

    Agape Movement has provided Rs. 10,000 each to the Village Development Groups (VDGs) through KSSS.  VDGs received applications from self-help group members of their respective village. Out of many applications, 10 each were selected as first recipients of Rs. 1,000 each as loan. They used it to start new income generation programs or to upgrade their on going programs. They return Rs. 100 each every month. So the VDGs get Rs. 1,000 each every month as loan return and they give that as loan to the applicants in waiting list.

RESULTS:

    This revolving fund has become an incentive for many self-help group members to start new income generation programs. They include door-to-door sale of consumer goods, manufacturing and sale of food materials, tailoring etc. Some group members could improve their business with this help.

     People who mostly benefited from this program are women group members. Because women began to work, they began to generate additional small income in the family. This resulted in meeting the daily expenses and in developing the self-esteem of women.

STATEMENT OF ACCOUNTS:

PARTICULARS

From Agape Movement

To group members 1000x10

RECEIPTS

Rs. 40,000.00

PAYMENTS

 Rs.40,000.00

TITLE:

Income Generation Program (IGP) For Senior Citizens, Naomi, and Madonna Groups.

DATE:

January 11, 2001

DONOR:

Fr. Abraham Mutholathu Jacob, Los Angeles, USA

SPONSORING AGENCY:

Kottayam Social Service Society (KSSS), Kerala, India.

IMPLEMENTING AGENCY:

Senior Citizens, Naomi, and Madonna Groups in Cherpunkal Village.

AID GIVEN:

Rs. 3,000 (US$ 66.00)

PROJECT SUMMARY:

     A revolving fund for self-help groups organized by KSSS in Cherpunkal Village for senior citizens, widows and other women bearing full family responsibilities (Naomi Group members), and unmarried and unemployed girls (Madonna Group members) in Cherpunkal Village to promote income generation activities.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION:

     Kottayam Social Service Society (KSSS), the social service department of the Catholic Diocese of Kottayam, has organized several self-help groups for people of low-income families in its operational area. These include also the following special groups.

1. SENIOR CITIZENS’ GROUPS for people from age 60 who are economically poor.
2. NAOMI GROUPS for women who bear full family responsibilities like widows, single women, separated or divorced, wives who have bedridden or handicapped or irresponsible husbands.
3. MADONNA GROUPS for unemployed and uneducated girls.

Such groups are active also in Cherpunkal village. The groups meet regularly once in two weeks to discuss their issues, to learn from each other, and to work out solutions for their problems.

      Each group has credit union in which the members deposit a small amount from their savings every month. The members take loam from the credit union for income generation programs. KSSS convinces all members who are capable to work to take up income generation activities on an individual or group basis. Thus many are now disposed to work and like to become money earners than remain dependants of others.

PROBLEM IDENTIFIED:

   Though the group members are now willing to work, there are not enough job opportunities for all. So KSSS promoted self-employment programs. However, the group members do not have enough funds to initiate the income generation programs.

ACTION PLAN:

    Agape Movement has provided Rs. 1,000 each to the above mentioned three groups through KSSS. The groups received applications from their members. Out of many applications,  one each were selected as first recipient of Rs. 1,000 as loan. The recipients used it to start new income generation programs or to upgrade their on going programs. They return Rs. 100 each every month. So the group get Rs. 1,000 once in 10 months as loan return and they give that as loan to the applicants in waiting list.

RESULTS:

    This revolving fund has become an incentive for many self-help group members to start new income generation programs. They include door-to-door sale of consumer goods, manufacturing and sale of food materials, tailoring etc. Some group members could improve their business with this help.

     People who mostly benefited from this program are people who need special support. Because they began to work, they began to generate additional small income in the family. This resulted in meeting the daily expenses and in developing their self-esteem.

STATEMENT OF ACCOUNTS:

PARTICULARS

From Agape Movement

To group members 1000x3

RECEIPTS

Rs. 3,000.00

PAYMENTS

 Rs. 3,000.00

TITLE:

Educational Materials for Smart Group.

DATE:

January 11, 2001

DONOR:

Fr. Abraham Mutholathu Jacob, Los Angeles, USA

SPONSORING AGENCY:

Kottayam Social Service Society (KSSS), Kerala, India.

IMPLEMENTING AGENCY:

Village Development Group at Cherpunkal Village.

AID GIVEN:

Rs. 500 (US$ 11.00)

PROJECT SUMMARY:

     A subsidy to purchase educational materials and administrative expenses of Smart Groups organized in Cherpunkal village.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION:

     Kottayam Social Service Society (KSSS), the social service department of the Catholic Diocese of Kottayam, has organized special coaching programs for children of low-income families to help the come up in the society. They meet regularly on all Saturdays under the leadership of trained animator of the village. Their training involves non-formal education, special training in difficult topics, leadership training, exposure programs, and value education.

PROBLEM IDENTIFIED:

   These groups were started without any financial support.  Though a nominal fee is collected from the parents, it is not enough to meet the expenses of the program.

ACTION PLAN:

    Agape Movement has provided Rs. 500 to Smart Group at Cherpunkal to meet the expenses of the program.

RESULTS:

    The financial support helped to make the program more effective. Since we could buy more educational materials, the children began get more interest in the program and began to benefit out of it.

Smart group training.

TITLE:

House Completion Aid for Three Children.

DATE:

May 20, 2001

DONORS:

Manalel Family & Mr. Abraham Parayamakala, Los Angeles, USA

SPONSORING AGENCY:

Kottayam Social Service Society (KSSS), Kerala, India.

IMPLEMENTING AGENCY:

Local unit of KSSS in the village in Kerala State, India.

AID GIVEN:

Rs. 10,000 (US$ 217.40)

PROJECT SUMMARY:

     A grant to complete the construction of a house for three children whose parents died recently.  

BACKGROUND INFORMATION:

     Three children in a remote village in Kerala lost their parents. Their mother died in 1998 due to cancer and father died in 1999 because of heart attack. Since the children are students at the ages of 18, 11, and 9, their close relatives are taking care of them. The relatives are also financially weak. So the children are staying at an orphanage run by the Diocese of Kottayam. They need a house to stay near their relatives and go to the local school.

PROBLEM IDENTIFIED:

   The property of the children's late father was mortgaged because of financial difficulties during treatment and burial of the parents. With the financial support of a few local people, the property deed was taken back after paying the principal amount and the interest.

 Since the children were left without proper shelter, the close relatives decided to construct a small house for the children in this property. They have mobilized fund through a bank loan of Rs. 27,000 and donations from different people. Construction of the house could not be completed with the mobilized amount.

ACTION PLAN:

KSSS has discussed the matter with the local unit of KSSS in Mattakkara and offered Rs. 10,000 as grant received from Agape Movement. The local unit monitored the completion of the house construction and also supported financially to complete the house construction.

RESULTS:

    The financial support helped to complete the house so that the children have safe house to live in.