[Assam] Self Help is the Best Help

[Chan Mahanta]

Certainly a heartwarming story.

It is a picture perfect story of the perfect 
plan, executed as perfectly, resulting in exactly 
what was envisioned, if not more. What could be a 
better photo-op site for a visiting President?

So, my only question would be why has it not been 
replicated a thousand times, across the length 
and breadth of Assam? And why stop at Assam? Why 
not across India, nay,the sub-continent?

That is what leads me to wonder if the report is 
something prepared by someone who went to 
Gumoria, asked questions, checked on facts and 
reported a complete story, warts and all; or 
simply regurgitated the Govt. issued news-release?

Something about the story is too perfect, and 
thus too good to be believed in its entirety.

But I will stand corrected for my unwarranted 
skepticism, if someone could explain it better.









At 8:33 AM -0700 10/17/06, Dilip/Dil Deka wrote:
>Did anyone else note this news item? I am not so 
>much interested in the president's visit but the 
>fact that loan from a bank has been put to good 
>use and Rs. 26 lakh investment has resulted in 
>Rs. 100 lakhs of earnings definitely is 
>exemplary. The participants learned how to use 
>expertise offered by the govt., they put it to 
>good practical use, and have raised the standard 
>of living in the village.
>
>I am waiting for the doubters in the net to tell 
>us how this is only one instance or how numbers 
>have been fudged.
>
>Why can't the same model be copied in other 
>villages where the young people are unemployed 
>and likely target for hire by ULFA?
>THERE IS NOTHING BETTER AND MORE SATISFYING THAN SELF-HELP.
>
>Dilip
>
>
>Guwahati, Tuesday, October 17, 2006
>
>President to share success story of SHGs
>By A Staff Reporter
>  GUWAHATI, Oct 16 – Gumoria village, about 35 
>kilometres away from Guwahati city, has already 
>made a name for itself following the success of 
>the self help groups in improving the rural 
>economy and the President of India, Dr APJ Abdul 
>Kalam will visit the village tomorrow to have an 
>first-hand experience of the success story. The 
>President is also likely to interact with the 
>womenfolk of the village, who are the members of 
>the self-help groups.
>
>Official sources said that the village, 
>inhabited by marginal farmers and landless 
>labourers, was transformed into one of the model 
>villages following the formation of 50 self-help 
>groups and about 500 women of the village are 
>engaged with the groups, which not only improved 
>the economy of the village, but also improved 
>the level of education as with the extra income, 
>the people of the village can now send their 
>wards to schools.
>
>Sources said that with the help from the 
>Government, the self-help groups of the village 
>started rearing ducks and assistance was given 
>to the women in forms of training, marketing, 
>veterinary aid etc, while, apart from the 
>subsidy given by the Government, the UCO Bank 
>also provided financial assistance to the 
>groups. The groups have so far earned more than 
>Rs one crore against the investment of Rs 26 
>lakh, which includes bank loan of Rs 7.50 lakh.
>
>Sources revealed that the women of the village 
>are maintaining about 15 to 20 thousand ducks on 
>an average and the weekly income of each family 
>varies from Rs 150 to Rs 300. The egg production 
>in the village ranges from 25 to 30 thousand a 
>week. The eggs are sold in local market and some 
>traders from Guwahati also visit the village 
>regularly to buy eggs. Apart from eggs, the 
>women of the village also sell extra male ducks 
>to earn additional money.
>
>Official sources revealed that before the 
>launching of the project, the womenfolk of the 
>village used to assist their husbands in the 
>fields and some used traditional looms for 
>making their own dresses. But the formation of 
>the self-help groups completely changed the face 
>of the village and the women are spending most 
>of their income in education and health care of 
>their children. The savings of the families of 
>the villages also increased considerably over 
>the years.
>
>Sources revealed that the women of the groups 
>are rearing ducks in a scientific manner under 
>guidance from the faculty members of the State 
>Institute for Rural Development and regular 
>field level monitoring is still being done by 
>the members of the Institute.
>
>Egg production in Asom is much less than the 
>requirement, forcing the state to import from 
>other states of the country. Official sources 
>expressed the hope that the success story of the 
>women of Gumoria would encourage the people from 
>other parts of the state to take up such 
>projects, which in turn, would not only improve 
>the economic condition of the villages, but also 
>meet the requirement of the State to a great 
>extent.
>
>
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