Men self-help group encourages savings, own ventures in Chennai

E Mehboob Basha and A Shanmugham will soon be entrepreneurs. Part of a self-help group in Kannikapuram in Pulianthope, they will begin their new venture of trading dry fish with another men’s group from Yelagiri, who will sell their produce of natural honey in return.

Almost two years ago, when these men were told they could be self-reliant, they scoffed at the suggestion. With unsteady income, meeting their needs seemed impossible. However, in late 2016, Oasis India that took up a study of the locality found that some took to alcohol because of unsteady jobs and lack of financial planning. After a similar project in Yelagiri that yielded good results, the project was started in Kannikapuram in late 2016. As many as 17 men were brought together and Kannikapuram Community Growth Men Self Help Group was formed.

The group has separate meetings for members and those in the governing committee regularly. “Soon, the group will help Shanmugam, a disabled person in the locality, to set up a shop which will make him self-reliant,” says Basha, president of the group. “Even for the smallest expenditure, I had to run from pillar to post. I have not only received a financial plank, but have also found entrepreneurial skills,” says Shanmugam. The group is also now mulling to increase the fund accessible for members to Rs 10,000.

Prakash, who assists the group on the project, says, “Initially, the idea was to let each of the members have access to at least Rs 4,000 per year, at a minimum interest rate of 1 per cent, which was used as an investment. We help them with the tools, but they are their own agents. Those who were initially reluctant later saw the change. They could take care of their needs and they were also able to represent their issues with authorities – for garbage disposal, electricity issues, etc. Now, they have floated their own idea of trading with dry fish for honey from the forests of Yelagiri after interacting with another group some months ago.”

“While the women self-help groups are involved in various businesses like food, cosmetics, garments and several others, men self-help groups come with a whole set of challenges,” say experts. “But we have seen that this group is more efficient when it comes to repaying loans and maintaining the funds,” says Prakash.

A previous project undertaken by Montfort Community Development Society (MCDS) had experimented with the model among auto drivers in Adyar, Thideer Nagar and Velachery. “With around eight groups comprising more than 120 members of autorickshaw drivers, we helped them with health camps, bank loans. Today, they are managing the groups on their own,” says Br Mathew Alexander, project director, MCDS.