When women support each other, incredible things happen.”– Anonymous
The Winner Women’s Group is a Self-Help Group (SHG) comprising of 14 women from the Edathala Panchayat, located near the town of Aluva in the Ernakulam District of Kerala. They are part of the 247 families who are supported by our Family Strengthening Programme (FSP) around SOS Children’s Village Cochin.
What is a Self-Help Group (SHG)?
A Self-Help Group is a small voluntary organisation of people from the same socio-economic background. While this majorly helps people to solve common problems within their community with the mutual help of its members, it also promotes the spirit of togetherness and unity.
Sreekala, a hard-working and dynamic woman, leads the Winner Women’s Group in Aluva. Not only have these women worked hard to make this group what it is today, they have also opened myriads of opportunities one can cull out of a Group Income Generation Project (IGP).
The members of this group work in the facility from 9 AM to 5.30 PM as regular working people. From managing their project related paper work to keeping an eye on their earnings, profits and savings, this project has given them a sense of identity, value and improved social status. The SHG works in an association with V-Star Creations, an Indian manufacturer of inner wear for men and women. While the company receives the finished products in bulk, members of the SHG rigorously check for quality control and manufacturing defects, if any. Following this process, products are packaged as per size and quality in bundles of three; these packaged goods are then transported by V-Star at regular intervals for further distribution.
Under this project, each member of the SHG earns INR 7,500-10,000 per month, approximately, depending on the quantum of work coming from V-Star. Prior to this Income Generation Project, they had no regular source of income that eventually led to the lack of care for their children’s needs. Initiated in 2012 for a period of five years, the project has come a long way!
Sreekala, the group leader says, “Due to a regular source of income, our lives have become much more organised. Besides this, we have also become confident and are now well respected for our work. This is a great feeling! We can never thank SOS India enough for doing this for us, they have transformed our lives.”
