Self-Help Groups help empower at risk communities towards a better world
A Self-Help Group is an informal association of 10 to 20 poor women belonging to the same village and sharing a common socio-economic background. The group enables its members to gain their identity as individuals, while realising - and utilising - the immense power of mutual aid. It provides them with a platform from where they can access banks and public services, and spearhead changes that affect them as poor women.
As a result of PRADAN’s intervention efforts, an increasing number of rural families - especially women - are engaging in independent livelihood activities. These activities serve as opportunities for diversifying and enhancing their incomes.
PRADAN gives particular attention to women because even as they comprise half of the country’s population, they remain the most disadvantaged sector among the poor. Yet it is the women who prove to be most effective in fostering change in their families and communities.