In the Udupi - Dakshina Kannada - Chikmagalur region of Karnataka, Dr.Veerendra Heggade of Dharmasthala has been setting up and promoting women's self-help groups as part of his rural development programme. It is an initiative meant to make semi-literate/ illiterate women economically independant. Women's self-help groups in other parts of the country are not unheard of. A lot of them have been started by & spear headed by men. I think, initiatives like this bring more power to women, than, say, reservation of seats in the Parliament.
The basic principle of these area- based, self-help groups is some sort of a fund that is set up from which loans are handed out for small- scale industries (chiefly food items like pickles, squashes, chips), dairy/ poultry farming, etc. Easy repayment schemes & money- saving schemes have successfully lured a large number of women, irrespective of caste/ community, to these groups. Thanks to this, there is a BIG shortage of domestic helps in these parts.Only the old retainers of long- standing families remain.
As it is, education till Class 10 is compulsory & the school drop out level in these parts is quite low.Young girls haven't been opting for jobs as domestic helps. And now, these 'Sthree Shakti Sanghas'(as the SHGs are known) have successfully weaned the older women, leaving people like me in the lurch :(
Most of us have come to terms with this house-cleaning thing. I'm fortunate to be my own boss and since I work mostly from home, I have a flexible work schedule. Sometimes, though, tight schedules creep in and I feel quite harassed. At times like this, I try to think like my ex-help (now, a home-guard). Had I been in her place, I would have very gladly grabbed the opportunity to opt out of doing other people's domestic chores. After all, life is about bettering oneself. If this doesn't pep me up, I try to think of doing domestic chores as regular physical exercise - for my better health.
Yeah, that thought soothes me, and, I must admit that life outside the 'domestic help' tag, more social interaction & the financial betterment has improved the confidence levels of the hitherto faceless women.
The basic principle of these area- based, self-help groups is some sort of a fund that is set up from which loans are handed out for small- scale industries (chiefly food items like pickles, squashes, chips), dairy/ poultry farming, etc. Easy repayment schemes & money- saving schemes have successfully lured a large number of women, irrespective of caste/ community, to these groups. Thanks to this, there is a BIG shortage of domestic helps in these parts.Only the old retainers of long- standing families remain.
As it is, education till Class 10 is compulsory & the school drop out level in these parts is quite low.Young girls haven't been opting for jobs as domestic helps. And now, these 'Sthree Shakti Sanghas'(as the SHGs are known) have successfully weaned the older women, leaving people like me in the lurch :(
Most of us have come to terms with this house-cleaning thing. I'm fortunate to be my own boss and since I work mostly from home, I have a flexible work schedule. Sometimes, though, tight schedules creep in and I feel quite harassed. At times like this, I try to think like my ex-help (now, a home-guard). Had I been in her place, I would have very gladly grabbed the opportunity to opt out of doing other people's domestic chores. After all, life is about bettering oneself. If this doesn't pep me up, I try to think of doing domestic chores as regular physical exercise - for my better health.
Yeah, that thought soothes me, and, I must admit that life outside the 'domestic help' tag, more social interaction & the financial betterment has improved the confidence levels of the hitherto faceless women.
My maid is also a part of such an organisation, they meet twice a month, and have a bank account, Dharmasthala people have put some amount, when these ladies want a loan, they take it from this account. They all work elsewhere but enjoy the meetings.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I have never known any other meeting that has so much exuberance & participation!
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