Women's projects

Life can be very hard for women in these poor rural areas. Poverty and disempowerment are worse for widows or those whose husbands have left them. Some women face problems of male dominance including violence. Although many women have had some education they often feel powerless to take any action.

Self-help groups
With the ongoing help of BGM 150 self-help groups have been set up by women from the surrounding villages. Each group has between ten and twenty members. Only one female member from any one family can join the group as it is expected that the whole family will benefit. The group elects a president, a secretary and a treasurer. Groups meet weekly and give the women an opportunity to discuss and help each other with social and economic problems. One objective is to increase the saving capacity of each member. To this end each individual pays 10 Rupees per week which is collected and saved in a bank account. Once a minimum of 2,500 Rupees has been saved, 2,000 Rupees is withdrawn and distributed equally to the members as loans carrying minimum interest charges. This process is repeated throughout the year.

Free tailoring classes
BGM has identified that one area for employment that women can take part in from their homes is tailoring. Being able to sew gives women an opportunity to earn money by making clothes for others and to save money by making their own family's clothes. BGM has purchased five sewing machines and at present there are a maximum of twenty-six students. BGM pays for a teacher and classes run Monday to Saturday from 10am-1pm and 2pm-5pm. The course length is six months. BGM has also provided thirty-six sewing machines to help individual women to begin earning an income. Each sewing machine costs around 4,000 Rupees.

Chicken distribution
Development groups around the world have realised the benefits of providing chickens to poor people. The eggs are a good source of protein so help with the family diet. Surplus eggs can be sold giving the family a small income. Some chickens will be eaten or sold for meat. With financial help from the India Government BGM has been able to distribute a total of two-thousand chickens to women in self-help groups. Each recipient family is given ten chickens and they have to agree to give ten chicks to another family within the first year.

Goat distribution
Goats provide milk, meat and baby goats! BGM has distributed eighty goats to women in self-help groups. Goats yield much less milk than cows or buffalo but the milk does sell for a higher price. This is because goats feed on a more varied diet including herbs so people perceive the milk to be healthier. For the same reason the meat sells for a good price too.