Kerala - Kottayam   

NSS to enter micro-financing

George Jacob

Move may help to empower poor women

KOTTAYAM: In a move that may ensure empowerment of women in the financially weaker segments of its community, the Nair Service Society (NSS) is all set to enter micro-financing in a big way.

G. Sukumaran Nair, NSS assistant secretary, said the society had set up nearly 6,000 self-help groups and the initiative would enter a "stabilisation period" soon.

He said the 58 taluk unions of the society would play a key role in the initiative.

Vanitha samajoms under more than 50 of these unions had set up self-help groups. These groups would be linked to the Mannam social service societies, registered at the taluk level.

Network formed

Mr. Sukumar Nair said the society had set up a close network of over one-lakh prospective women entrepreneurs through the groups.

During the first stage of the initiative, during the past six months, these groups of 20 members each met weekly and pooled their resources. In the next stage, the banks would step in to add to the mobilised funds and help them use the money in a creative way.

The move towards micro enterprises would come in the third phase.

Stabilisation period

He said the next few months would be considered the "stabilisation period." The groups, after the completion of a year, would be graded on the basis of their functioning for the banks to rate them for extending credit.

The groups would get credit directly so that the rate of interest could be minimised, as the intermediaries in the form of the taluk unions could be done away with, he said.

The Social Service Department of the society, in association with Dhanalakshmi Bank, is conducting a three-day training and awareness camp for the stakeholders.

Bank authorities said secretaries of 30 of the taluk unions and Mannam social service societies would meet at Changanassery for the camp.

The sessions would deal with issues such as women empowerment, micro credit, role of non-governmental organisations in social development, micro enterprises, project preparation, maintenance of books and registers, grading, linkage banking and so on.

The camp would also provide a venue for sharing of ideas and experience in the running of self-help groups and offer scope for resource mobilisation through institutions such as the Women's Development Corporation, Kudumbasree, the Khadi and Village Industries Commission and the role of the department of local administration in such endeavours.

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NSS to enter micro-financing

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