From unskilled labour to self-employment, these women have come a long way
Fencing poles are being built in the work-shed constructed through MNREGA convergence
Women, who once worked as labourers, are now running their own business, 12 new self-help groups formed in the village
Raipur, 7 February 2022/ With the favourable environment for self-employment and the suitable place for income-oriented activities, women of tribal-populated Chirmi village in remote Koriya district are confidently exploring their entreprenuerial skills. Twelve women of Ganga Mai Self Help Group have set up their own enterprise and are manufacturing fencing poles at the multi-utility center, established through the convergence of MGNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act) and DMF (District Mineral Trust Fund). Transformation of these women from MNREGA labourer to self-employed enterpreneurs is inspiring other women of the village as well. Ever since Ganga Mai Self Help Group has successfully started their work, 12 new self-help groups have been formed in the village.
In the multi-utility center established as work-shed with the convergence of MNREGA and DMF at the cost of Rs 12 lakh 15 thousand, women of Ganga Mai Self Help Group from Chirmi have been manufacturing fencing poles and supplying the same to many villages of Khadganwa development block. More than 300 poles manufactured by them have been sold so far. Gram Panchayats are using these poles in the siege of Gauthans and Block-plantations. The group has earned Rs 80,000 from the sale of poles. These women have got work orders worth Rs 3 lakh. Inspired by the financial dependence and growth of this group formed under National Rural Livelihood Mission, 12 new women self-help groups have been constituted in the village.
The members of Ganga Mai Self Help Group, Mrs. Urmila Singh and Mrs. Ramvati are registered workers under MNREGA. Earlier, their livelihood depended on farming, collection of forest produce and wages under MNREGA. Few years ago, they gathered few women of the village and constituted Ganga Mai Self Help Group under National Rural Livelihood Mission. There are 12 members in this group. These women saved up from their MNREGA wages and started group activities for extra income. This group also received financial aid of Rs 15 thousand from Livelihood Mission, which boosted their morale and they started the work of collecting forest produce through Van Dhan Kendra. The group received Rs 18 thousand as commission from Forest Management Committee for their forest produce collection work. After establishment of Gauthan in Chirmi last year, these women started manufacturing organic manure there, which helped them earn an additional income of Rs eight and a half thousand.
Mrs. Urmila Singh informed that Gram Panchayat provided them this multi-utility center in June-2021. But soon after they got engaged in the agricultural works. However, they managed to start fencing pole manufacturing from September-2021. Their work further picked up the pace after receiving the resources from Livelihood Mission, the construction of storage unit, and the arrangement of water supply. She said that the group has so far received orders for about one thousand poles from nearby gram panchayats. They have also supplied 300 of these poles.
A work-shed has been constructed near Gauthan in Chirmi, 28 km from Koriya district headquarter Baikunthpur, with the convergence of Rs one lakh 54 thousand received from MNREGA for payment of wages and Rs ten lakh 61 thousand received from DMF for materials. Administrative approval of Rs 12 lakh 15 thousand was issued for this work. Construction of this multi-utility center in the village has not only provided direct employment of 798 man-days to 39 MNREGA workers, but has also provided self-employment opportunities to local self-help groups. In year 2020-21, the family of women members of Ganga Mai Self Help Group got 612 days of employment under MNREGA, whereas this year 2021-22 they have got employment of only 306 days. This clearly indicates that these women are now giving preference to their business as a permanent means of employment instead of unskilled labor.
