Selected 12 leaders of SHGs of Gokhafasalvad and Neetur villages have been taken for exposure visit to Mulkanoor village of Karimnagar District. There they  have studied the women federation system and mutually aided co-operative societies. They also visited two women federations at Narasampet and interacted with the federation leaders.

Process has been initiated to form women federations by the field staff and the teachers in our bridge camps. Intention behind this is to sensitize women SHG members about the MACS and cooperative societies. This is three months activity.

The HELP has been working in the Doulthabad Mandal of Mahabubnagar district for the upliftment of the poor and women. The HELP has been organizing activities to promote and sustain the efforts of the women through Self Help Group (SHG) strategy, The initiative taken up to empower women has created effects and resulted in successful stories - one such case is presented hereunder.

Shanti Mahila Mandali of the Self Help Groups promoted by the HELP in the village of Gokafasalwada of Doultabad mandal. The Group was formed in the year 2000 with 15 women has members. How ever the following have been very active partipants in the group activities and took interest in taking up Income Generating Activities.

1. Ms. Veeramani (28 years) studied up to 7th class, married 12 years ago to Shri Venkatesham who has been away from the family and working in a cotton mill at Mumbai. She has three daughters, all of them are in the schooling.

2. Ms. Padmamma (30 years> a widow, studies only 5th class. She has a daughter who is studying first year intermediate. The family has been mainly engaged in tailoring when her husband was alive. By working in the farm as labour, she has been surviving.

3. Ms. Vijaya Lakshmi (31 years) a widow educated up to 5th class. Her husband has passed away 10 years ago. She has been managing and supporting a son (13 years) and a daughter (11 years) by earning through wage employment. She has been making additional income through preparation of chilli powder and selling the same locally.

4. Ms. Shantamma (32 years) educated up to 5th class and married to a Carpenter. She has 4 daughters and 2 sons. All the children are in the school.

These four women took intrest in finding way out for more lucrative venture within the village, based on their skills and investment capabilities. They have epxressed the same to the HELP and also requested for support to start same venture. This is an effect of the Exposure. Visit arranged by the HELP during October 2003 for their SHGs. They have visited a leaf plate making unit in the nearby place.
The HELP has arranged for a group discussion exclusively for this Mahila Mandali as they have shown much interest in establishing a leaf plate making unit. The required estimations were made, source of raw material identified, and more intrestingly the women have also identified and enlisted potential buyers (demand) in and around Doultabad.

The total financial investment was estimated as Rs. 30,000 of which Rs. 8,000 has come from these women, mostly in the form of stock of raw material, labour for installation etc. The HELP has mobilized as much as Rs.20,000 that include machinery, electrical fittings installation charges, etc.

The raw material is collected locally in the rural once for this leaf plate making. The traditional way of leaf plate could help women to earn little amount. Moreover, the leaf plate making has been done as part time job as when they are not engaged for wage employment. The machine finished leaf plate could generate more income as the demand for the same is from the nearby hotels, mess, temples, marriage parties and of the late from small Super Markets in the nearby towns.

The quality of leaf plate also improved by using paper and finishing with machine. Given the potential demand and frequent utility, the marketing of leaf plates is not a problem, provided if the women group establish a tie-ups and network with the potential buyers. To large extent the HELP has played a catalyst role and established required links with potential buyers. The simple economics indicates that selling 100 machine made leaf plates can fetch more net returns to the women than the conventional method.

It can be attributed to the major factors like - improved quality, the semi-skilled women can take up this in rural areas.

The Shanti Mahila Mandali is fully involved in the activity of leaf plate making. These above mentioned four have been taken lead as they have little know-how about this activity.

Outcome of this project

The effect of this is visible among these women. Now, they have almost regular employment or self-employed, apart from their wage employment. It has improved their daily earnings to sizeable extent. Now they are able to earn on average Rs. 40 to 50 per day from their venture, additional income from wage employment. Earlier, the women from leaf plate making was negligible (about Rs. 25 to 30 in week). These women can generate employment for others in collecting the leaves and supplying the same to the unit.

The case indicates that exposure visit arranged by the NGO to a right place has highly motivated the women in exploring the possible Income Generating Activities based on the local material and demand. The timely decision both by the women group and support by the NGO has result in "successful story".