What we do
Sewing Machine Training Project for Rural Women in Tamil Nadu
| Target area | India, Tamil Nadu, Madurai district, Vadipatti taluk, Melakkal village |
Project period |
September 2016 to March 2017 |
Partner |
JSWET (Jai Sakthi Women Empowerment Trust) |
＜Previous Situation＞
In the project area, employment opportunity has been very limited for women. It is morally deprecated to go out from the village for work. However, they have only unstable agri-labor work in the village. Their husband sometime work as migrant labors, though it is also unstable work. Therefore, they have been faced with the problem such as low and unstable income.
＜Project Purpose＞
Increasing household income of the women, by teaching them how to use sewing machine & getting employment opportunity for them.
＜Main activities＞
・Giving training on how to use sewing machine & stiching ladies clothes, to 50 women
・Connecting the 50 women to garments companies to assure employment opportunity
＜Achievements＞
– 10 women among the 50 women have taken a skill check test of a garments company. Suppose that they could pass the test, they could receive orders from that company.
Organic Agriculture Promotion Project
As a continuation development project of ’Devathur Watershed Development Project’ which did the 2013 fiscal year, LIFE has been implementing the ‘Organic Agriculture Promotion Project’ in Devathur and Kothayam villages with the support of Grant Assistance for Japanese NGO Projects from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
|
Target area |
India, Tamil Nadu state, Dindigul district, Thoppampatti Block, Devathur village/ Kothayam village |
|
Project period |
March 2015 to March 2017 |
|
Partner |
CIRHEP(The Centre for Improved Rural Health and Environmental Improved) |
＜Previous Situation＞
The agricultural area in a project place is carrying on agriculture by rainwater and groundwater mainly, but the cultivable are decreases due to decrease of the amount of rainfall of the recent years. Using of chemical fertilizer started from 30 years ago , Increased the amount of crops temporarily. However, after some time, the land become impoverished and fallen into the vicious circle of chemical farming.
＜Project Purpose＞
Achieving poverty reduction in the project area through foundation maintenance of organic agriculture.
＜Main activities＞
- Watershed development
- Organic farming training
- Organic farming promotion
＜Achievements＞
– The cultivable area expanded by the construction of field-bunds and farm ponds which keep rainwater at the land, increase the ground-water level by percolation of the rainwater.
– The vermi compost introduced on organic agriculture Training, is used oftenly .
Self Help Groups (SHG) Project
Self Help Groups (SHG) are very active in India. Currently, SHGs are organized by several micro finance programs of government, NGOs. But SHGs are too increased in recent years, and it becomes difficult to receive a bank loan. LIFE started to support ‘Income generation activity’ together with local NGO. We grant the amount of seed money for groups’ internal lending, support groups’ income generation.
(1) Uthayam Women Federation
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Target area |
India, Tamil Nadu state, Dindigul district, Nilakottai Block, Mutraiyanagar village,Veelanayakkanpatti, Pappynayakkampatti, Kamchipuram |
|
Project period |
June 2012 to March 2017 |
|
Partner |
CIRHEP(The Centre for Improved Rural Health and Environmental Improved) |
＜Previous Situation＞
Members of Uthayam Women Federation are mostly involving agriculture and do not have various certificate and fixed income. But when they apply for the educational loan of the bank, they have to prepare these documents. That’s why, it’s too hard to get educational loan from the bank.
＜Project Purpose＞
We aim to support groups to manage independently by granting the funds to do an educational loan.
＜Main activities＞
- Organized Uthayam Women Federation which consists of 10 SHGs
- Granted Uthayam Women Federation the funds to do an educational loan through the membership donations
- Promote self-management skills to decide about the loan amount, the interest rate and repayment period by Uthayam Women Federation
＜Achievements＞
– 27 people (college student and high school student) use the educational loan at present, and their mothers repay the loan at every monthly meeting.
(2) Sri Muthalamman Women SHG
|
Target area |
India, Tamil Nadu state, Dindigul district, Nilakottai Block, Kottur village |
|
Project period |
April 2013 to March 2017 |
|
Partner |
CIRHEP(The Centre for Improved Rural Health and Environmental Improved) |
＜Previous Situation＞
Sri Muthalamman Women SHG participated in a micro finance program of NGO before. But they had a bad experience that NGO staff abscond the repayment amount from them. Through this experience, they came to think it’s more important to do groups’ internal lending by their saving, than getting loan from outside.
＜Project Purpose＞
They continue to have a meeting every month after repayment of goat purchase loan . They are doing saving and new financing like goat purchase, agricultural material purchase, hospital cost and return cost of a gold loan themselves. And we also granted the funds to do an educational loan in 2015. We aim for sustainable development of the group by enhancing their motivation.
＜Main activities＞
- Granted Sri Muthalamman Women SHG the funds to purchase goat through the donation by LIFE supporters in 2013
- Granted Sri Muthalamman Women SHG the funds to do an educational loan through the donation by a LIFE supporter in June 2015
- Promote self-management skills to decide about the loan amount, the interest rate and repayment period by Sri Muthalamman Women SHG
＜Achievements＞
– 12 members bought each 1 goat in October 2013.
– 7 people use the educational loan at present, and their mothers repay the loan at every monthly meeting.
List of projects
– Construction of wells for drinking water (1991~2001)
– Support of women Self-Help-Group for Women Empowerment (2000~2014)
– Tree planting at Tamil Nadu in south India (2009~2013)
– Training for organic farming for sustainable agriculture (2010~2013)
– Tutoring class for children at rural area (2001~2004)
– Nutrition program for destitute women (1991~2001)
– Support for disabled people at rural area (2012~2013)
Other activities
– Work camp for construction well by Japanese (1991~2001)
– Study Tour for Japanese (1997~)
– Participatory Rural Development Training and Social Development Training for Japanese (2000~2013)
– BOP business Tour for Japanese (2011~)