Deal Foundation’s core mission is to work to create sustainable livelihood opportunities for persons with disabilities and support the development of their own, run and managed enterprises.
The Deal Foundation works across various communities of interest and locality to create an effective process that leads to the social and economic rehabilitation, recovery, and resilience of persons with disabilities. A key approach is fostering community ownership, which allows communities of disabled individuals in rural areas to become truly self-reliant. The foundation believes in starting with empowering and motivating individuals with disabilities, forming self-help groups, and encouraging them to take charge of livelihood and entrepreneurship development activities. Through this approach, the Deal Foundation aims to inspire every disabled person to realize that success can only be achieved when they actively participate and take ownership of their future.
Accordingly, disabled people have formed self-help societies and lead self-reliant lives, becoming role models for many others with disabilities. Durga Shakti Vikalachetana Swasthaya Sangha is one such self-help society. Renuka Kallalli, the Livelihood Officer of Mundaragi Taluk, is talking about this Sangha. He has formed self-help societies for the physically challenged and women in Mundaragi Taluk, provided them with training, and made them employable. Similarly, he visited Korlalli Gram Panchayat, informed the VRW there about the Deal Foundation and its activities, and gathered information about the disabled people in the area.
Later, Renuka visited the homes of people with disabilities, conducted a survey, and informed them about the Deal Foundation. He also included ten differently-abled individuals and told them about the self-help society. He provided information about the benefits of forming a self-help society. As a result, the disabled people there formed their own self-help society and built their association. Renuka used to visit the association every month and provide them with information.
One day, when Renuka found the self-help association formed by the differently-abled individuals, others who were interested also joined. They created a self-help association in Renuka’s name, benefiting from it and starting employment. They shared their thoughts with Renuka, and as a result, 11 people with disabilities joined and formed an association. They named it “Durga Shakti Vikalachetana Swasahay Sangha” and opened an account at KVG Bank. They decided to save 100 rupees every month.
Later, Renuka informed the association about book writing training, 2016 disability awareness training, leadership training, and the facilities available from the government and various departments. Renuka also provided training to the association in areas such as beekeeping, dairy farming, saffron cultivation, paper bag making, candle making, and more, all through the Deal Foundation. As a result, people with disabilities who were interested in employment became motivated to apply for loans from the bank or use their savings to start their own businesses.
Apart from this, the DEAL Foundation took note of the difficulties faced by people with disabilities when dealing with banks, aiming to help them avoid these issues and provide even more benefits. Renuka started the “Safe Handicapped Cooperative Society” in Mevundi village at the Mundaragi Taluk level. In this society, if people with disabilities become shareholders, they receive the benefits of low-interest loans, high-interest deposits, and more overall advantages than any other bank. This society is exclusively for the disabled. Renuka shared this information with the members of the Durga Shakti Sangh. As a result, all the members of the association benefited from it as shareholders.
He received a loan from this association as a shareholder in the cooperative society. Among them, Renavva Konchigeri was the first to take a loan of 10,000 and started dairy farming. She repaid the loan without any outstanding balance. Then, for the second time, Renavva Konchigeri took a loan of 20,000 and continued with dairy farming, which benefited her family. Similarly, Lakshmavva Konchigeri also received a loan of 10,000 and, with the support of her family, bought cows and began dairy farming. Seeing her success, the other members also started coming forward to engage in employment.
All the members of the association shared their opinions about the Deal Foundation, which has provided all this support. They expressed pride in finding an organization that is working for the disabled. Previously, they were unaware of the facilities available to the disabled and the benefits of forming a self-help society. Now, they receive all the information and support they need from this organization. They have saved some money as a self-help association, which is helping them during difficult times. Additionally, those interested in employment, who had no financial support before, have joined the society, taken loans, and started engaging in employment. On behalf of all the members of our association, we thank the Deal Foundation and Renuka for their cooperation.
In this way, the Deal Foundation identifies people with disabilities and provides them with training, employment, and economic improvement. All disabled individuals and women hope that the DEAL Foundation will be recognized at a higher level.
For any specific queries or assistance regarding this blog, please contact info@deal-foundation.com and visit www.deal-foundation.com to learn more about the work we do.
Thank you.