The Hindu : A fistful of rice to ward off hunger

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Mar 19, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

A fistful of rice to ward off hunger

By Gollapudi Srinivasa Rao

NALLABELLI (WARANGAL DT.) MARCH 18. Women of Senigaram village have come up with an innovative idea to share their food with fellow women in distress. `Guppedu biyyam' or `a fistful of rice,' the brain-child of 15 self help groups each comprising of 15 women, involves the collection of a fistful of rice kept aside by these women and handing it over to the village organisation -- a federation of the groups -- Priyanka Grama Aikya Sangham.

Three months after the idea was put into action the women could collect one quintal of rice, which was distributed between a couple of women in their 70s -- M. Uppalamma and M. Sammakka -- one of whom was deserted by her son and the other has an ailing husband.

Encouraged by Velugu staff, the women aspire to come up with some more innovative ideas and implement them too. "We have been asked to do something on our own. A good thing indeed,'' said Perumandla Vasantha, president of sangham.

The women chanced upon the idea of identifying the poorest of the poor in their village and contributing their mite during brainstorming sessions. Inspired by `Guppedu biyyam,' the sarpanch, A. Udaya, has donated clothes to two girls whose mother committed suicide due to poverty. As their father was mentally unsound, the sangham proposes to get the elder girl married by raising the money for the expenses within the village.

Speaking to The Hindu, Kutukuri Bhagyalaxmi, the secretary of the sangham said they had decided to collect Rs. 150 from each group and raise some donations for the purpose. "Sine they have nobody, we wanted to take up the responsibility,'' she pointed out.

Word of the Good Samaritan work taken by the women of Sanigaram spread fast and women in neighbouring villages too started similar charity work. "If everybody copies it, we will do something more,'' said a septuagenarian Nagapuri Yashodamma.

Next on their list are attempts to eradicate illicit liquor in their village. "The men are dying in their 30s due to `Gudumba' and we want it to go from our lives. We virtually caught hold of three men who stole rice from home and sold it to buy liquor. We asked women not to give money earned from the thrift groups to their husbands and instead spend it on themselves or for the children,'' she explained.

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Andhra Pradesh