The Deal Foundation’s core mission is to create sustainable livelihood opportunities for persons with disabilities and support the development of enterprises that are owned, operated, and managed by them.
The Deal Foundation works across communities of interest and locality to establish effective processes that foster social and economic rehabilitation, recovery, and resilience. Community ownership is a key approach to empowering people with disabilities in rural areas to become truly self-reliant. This begins with creating empowered and motivated individuals with disabilities, forming self-help groups, and encouraging them to take charge of livelihood and entrepreneurship development activities. The Deal Foundation strives to inspire every person with a disability, emphasizing that success is achievable through collective effort and determination.
Accordingly, people with disabilities have formed a joint liability association and are leading self-reliant lives. The Shree Gowri Joint Liability Group is one such self-help group. This association was initiated by the Deal Foundation in Mevundi village. After conducting a survey of the disabled individuals in the village, Uma Chil Gowdar and Shivkumar Shirola provided detailed information about the foundation’s activities to all the disabled residents. As a result, sewing training programs were started for differently-abled individuals and women. Those who participated in the survey received free tailoring training. Uma Chil Gowdar further encouraged the participants to form their own association, save collectively, and utilize loans to support their journey toward a self-reliant life.
Accordingly, five individuals with disabilities who had completed tailoring training came together to form a joint liability group and opened an account with KVG Bank under the name ‘Shree Gowri Joint Liability Group.’ This was the first association formed under the guidance of the Deal Foundation. Uma Chil Gowdar provided the group with training in bookkeeping, capacity building, and job skills. As a result of these trainings, all members of the association became motivated to pursue employment as a crucial step toward building a new and self-reliant life.
The members then decided to pursue employment and make it the foundation of their livelihood. However, they faced challenges in marketing their work. Shivakumar Shirol, the training coordinator of the Deal Foundation, provided comprehensive guidance to the association members. He offered support from the initial stages of employment, helping them understand how to effectively market their products and services to achieve profitability.
Six months after the formation of the association, the members began discussing the possibility of obtaining a bank loan during their weekly meetings. With the cooperation of Uma Chil Gowdar, the members applied for a loan, submitted the necessary documents, and successfully secured their first loan of ₹1 lakh. Three members of the association utilized this loan: Shilpa Valikar, from a poor family, took ₹40,000 to support her family and started working in a hotel, becoming a role model for people with disabilities. Similarly, Devakka Talwar used ₹30,000 for sheep farming, creating a source of income for her family. Parvati Chungin also utilized ₹30,000 for dairy farming, contributing to her family’s livelihood. Through this first bank loan, the three members began working and achieved significant financial progress.
Through this association, people with disabilities receive training, secure employment, and become pillars of support for their families. Additionally, Devakka Talwar, a member of the association, received training from the Deal Foundation and is now working with the foundation, further enhancing her economic stability. All members of the association have also participated in agricultural training programs provided by the Deal Foundation, in collaboration with other organizations and government initiatives. As a result, this association has become a role model for individuals with disabilities, demonstrating the power of collective effort and support in achieving self-reliance and empowerment.
The first bank loan was repaid in full without any arrears, enabling the association to secure a second loan of ₹2 lakhs. Impressed by the association’s savings habits and timely loan repayments, KVG Bank encouraged the group to apply for additional loans. The ₹2 lakh loan is also being repaid promptly, while the members continue to build their savings.
The association then applied for a loan of ₹3 lakhs and successfully secured it. Shilpa Valikar took ₹1 lakh to expand her hotel business, Parvati Chungin used ₹1 lakh for dairy farming, and Devakka Talwar took ₹1 lakh to build a house. All members are repaying their loans without any arrears. Thus, this association has taken bank loans three times and has become a model for self-help societies.
In addition, the Deal Foundation has established a Safe Handicapped Cooperative Society to benefit individuals with disabilities. Devakka Talwar is also a board member of this society. Recognizing the business potential and success of this association, the Deal Foundation, as it does every year, selected this association for the first prize in the self-sufficiency award program, awarding them ₹20,000.
Thus, this association, which began with the support of the Deal Foundation, has become a model of success. The members of the association have shared their gratitude for the cooperation provided by the Deal Foundation. It was the first organization to recognize the potential of people with disabilities, offer us training, and help us achieve financial independence. Through our own association, we are now able to access low-interest loans and savings, something that was not previously available to people with disabilities. Uma Chil Gowdar and Shivkumar Shirol from the Deal Foundation have instilled self-confidence in us, making us financially strong and allowing us to gain recognition in society. Additionally, our knowledge has been further enhanced through various training programs. On behalf of all the members of our association, we thank the Deal Foundation, as well as Uma Chil Gowdar and Shivkumar Shirol, for opening our eyes to the outside world and showing us a path to live self-reliantly without being a burden to our families. We also express our hope for continued cooperation and further development.
The Deal Foundation is providing financial support to individuals with disabilities through training, empowering them to improve their lives. All the members with disabilities hope to achieve greater recognition and success in the future.
For any specific queries or any assistance regarding this blog please contact info@deal-foundation.com and log on to www.deal-foundation to know more about the work we do.
thank you