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A Case Study of THE ANDHRA PRADESH RURAL LIVELIHOODS PROJECT”
Erramla Uma Devi and her husband Keshavaiah live in Daduluru Village of Kanaganapalli Mandal. Though both of them have studied up to the 10th standard they worked as daily wage labourers because they could not get other work. They own 2.5 acres of land on which they used to grow groundnut, but just before the harvest wild pigs used to destroy the crop. They sent petitions to the government about this and their losses but no one would listen to their woes. They even tried electric fencing, but the pigs kept returning to destroy the crop. They incurred heavy debts and clearing the debts became a major challenge for them. Just day-today
living and keeping the family clothed and fed and educating their two children became extremely difficult.
Then the APRLP watershed programme started in their village, giving women the opportunity to join a group and providing loans to the financially weaker women. Uma Devi understood the concept and decided to join the Venkateshwara self-help group. Her husband was quite supportive because he realised that this was a golden opportunity to clear his debts and ensure a better future for his children. In 2003 Uma Devi joined the Venkateshwara selfhelp group and in the same year the village organisation was also formed. She saved Rs. 50 per month and played an active part in her group. The watershed officials were surprised to see her enthusiasm in the group, and within a year she became the president of the Venkateshwara self-help group.
During that time the DWMA initiated a plantation programme in the village. They needed someone to water the saplings. Uma Devi convinced her husband that since he did not have a real job he could do this and it could be his chance to improve their financial situation. Keshavaiah was given the task of watering the plants. The couple was overjoyed at being fully occupied after being idle for so long. Every day Keshavaiah transported water in a bullock cart tanker. He made ten trips in the morning and another ten trips in the evening. He was paid Rs.30 per trip, thus earning Rs. 600 per day. They had never dreamed of seeing so much money. Keshavaiah did this till the rainy season started. Then the DWMA stopped that work, and the couple was back where they started. Then they had a brilliant idea. The bus facility from Daduluru to Dharmavaram is just about adequate. They thought that if they had an auto they would have sufficient work. But getting an auto was not a simple matter. It would cost Rs.1, 50,000 and they needed to have some money to make a down payment against a loan.
Around that time, in January 2006, the village organisation started giving loans. Since they knew her history the village organisation immediately granted Uma Devi a loan of Rs. 20, 000. Uma Devi and Keshavaiah took another loan of Rs. 40, 000 from outside sources and deposited Rs. 60, 000 into the bank and bought an auto. Andhra Bank in Kanaganapally facilitated the purchase. Keshavaiah used his auto to run a shuttle service between Daduluru and Dharmavaram. He spent Rs. 200-300 on petrol and because the auto was new he did not spend much on repairs.
Uma Devi repaid Rs. 800 per month to the village organisation at the rate of Rs.400 per Rs.10, 000 at 1% interest. He paid Rs. 4, 620 every month towards the loan of Rs.40, 000. What was left after the repayment, he used for his family. He even saved enough to educate their children. In November 2006 loans were given to women’s groups under the Indira Kranthi Patham Scheme. Uma Devi took a loan of Rs.10, 000 from the scheme and it became easy to repay the bank. Within one year they had repaid the loan of Rs.40, 000 that they had taken from outside. At the same time they were able to educate their children in good private schools. Meanwhile they are clearing their debts and loans. Keshavaiah earns about Rs.300 daily or Rs.9, 000 per month, on an average. On festival days he earns Rs.500-600. Because the auto is his own he takes good care of it, reducing breakdown costs.
Uma Devi says that all this was possible because she is a member of a women’s selfhelp group and because of the initiatives taken by APRLP and DWMA. She is content with the progress of her family. Women cannot succeed in anything if they are confined to their homes but they can achieve a lot if they come out and utilise the various opportunities available to them. There is a need for another auto in the village and if the village organisation extends its help she would definitely like to buy and run another one, says Uma Devi.
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