helpwomen

CHHASE Self Help Groups

Self-Help Group Project of Community health,housing and social education (CHHASE), Tamil Nadu, gained momentum since May 2004 with an integrated approach for poverty reduction in rural areas.

Cohesive women’s Self-Help Groups (SHGs) are formed. Rural women are encouraged to pool rather than the amount, and internal rotation in the form of lending to needy members are the basis of group strength.

Key components of the Women’s Development Project are:

• Training in entrepreneurship, community development and vocational skills.
• Credit linkage to cater to the needs of poor women. Their credit worthiness has been proved savings on a regular basis, however small they may be, as a common fund. Regularity in savings, beyond doubt and repayment rates are in excess of 98%.
• Income generation programmes such as Embroidery, Tailoring, computer skill,weaving, paper cup making, food vending, pot making, poultry, spice grinding, juice pressing, bicycle repair are initiated. Groups of women can together take up bigger income generating projects like bakery goods manufacture and brick making.