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Our experiences in both individual and group programmes
made us realise the need to build a larger field base to carry out
socio economic programmes successfully. We felt the need for LEAD
to form groups extensively and to go in for a socio economic programme,
which would cater to individuals but simultaneously still remain a
collective activity. Micro credit became an important agenda to realize
this line of thinking . With the skill and experience thus acquired,
we (i.e. LEAD) are for the formation of groups and networking as these
enable the building of collective capacities .
Micro credit has thus become the running theme for all LEAD's programmes
- like watershed development/ natural farming, natural resource regeneration,
working with the disabled and working children by organizing them
into micro groups and building savings and credit activities to elicit
people's participation. Thus a search for the positioning and repositioning
of LEAD began. In 1991, we 'found' ourselves and since then it has
been the same with the women with whom we work. A micro credit programme
in relation to various other rural development activities came to
stay. In fact, the women have started saying a firm 'NO'' to any
charity/grant oriented activity. They are ready to participate on
more than equal terms if not on equal terms with us. |
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Since
1987, LEAD has been forming small groups of women. With
initial funding assistance from Child Relief and You (CRY),
in the year 1989, - a grant, which LEAD converted into
credit - they initiated a micro credit programme for 20
women in distress. This small credit programme however
did not help in bringing the women together. In the meanwhile,
the LEAD team learnt about afforestation, natural resource
regeneration, digging bore wells for drinking water ,
hand pump repair and maintenance, watershed development,
herbs and their raising etc., alongwith other social skills
such as organizing groups/ communities, understanding
group processes, participatory rural appraisals and communication,
animation, gender sensitivity etc. Initially the team
carried out Iindividual socio-economic activities, and
then based on this experience, we went into organising
group socio-economic activities.