Deal Foundation works towards helping people with disabilities and women build a self-reliant life, fostering a strong sense of empowerment, and encouraging them to engage in active, productive activities. The workers of the Deal Foundation are actively working in every taluk. In each taluk, Livelihood officers identify people with disabilities and women, provide them with information about the Deal Foundation, and then bring together the interested women to form a self-help group. They provide training to all members of the group and guide women and people with disabilities to engage in self-employment.
Along with the training provided by the Deal Foundation, information about the benefits available from the government and various departments, as well as training on revolving funds, are also provided to women through the support of Livelihood officers from the Deal Foundation. After receiving these trainings, women have engaged in self-employment and have made progress in their financial lives.
One such self-help group is the ‘Maralu Siddheshwara Women’s Self-Help Group’ in Doni village of Mundargi taluk. Regarding this group, Livelihood officer Renuka Kallalli from Mundargi taluk visited Doni village and provided information about the Deal Foundation’s activities and self-help groups to the people with disabilities and women there. Motivated by self-inspiration, the women decided to form a self-help group. Renuka brought them together and created the self-help group with 10 members.
Afterwards, Renuka provided training to all the members and encouraged them to take interest in self-employment. She facilitated bank loans for the members to start their businesses. Renuka continued to visit the groups every month and guided them in running their self-help groups. Seeing this, interested women from Doni village approached Renuka, asking for information to form their own self-help group. Renuka agreed and promised to help them form the group. She brought together 10 women, provided them with the necessary information, and formed the group with all the required documentation. The group was named ‘Maralu Siddheshwara Women’s Self-Help Group,’ and they opened an account in the Mevundi village cooperative society.
Later, Renuka provided book writing training, leadership training, and information about government schemes to the members. She also offered vocational training through the DEAL Foundation, including training in kumkum, dairy farming, beekeeping, and candle making. After receiving the training, the women decided that sitting at home would not help, and that engaging in employment would support their families. After six months of forming the group, they decided to take a bank loan to start their businesses. Six months later, after discussing in the meeting and with Renuka’s support, they decided to take a bank loan. Accordingly, they submitted an application to the bank with all the necessary documentation. Since this was the first loan for the group, the bank initially offered a loan of ₹50,000. The members discussed and decided that those who needed the loan first would take it, and the remaining members would take it later. Accordingly, five members took the ₹50,000 bank loan. Among them, Basavannavva Meti took ₹10,000 loan and started a dairy farming business with the help of her family. Similarly, Sumangala Hawin took ₹10,000 loan and started a goat farming business. Vijayalakshmi Havin took ₹10,000 loan and bought a tailoring machine to start a tailoring business. Rekha Talwar also took ₹10,000 loan and started a goat farming business, and Lakshmi Kappatnavar took ₹10,000 loan and continued her dairy farming business.”
Thus, all the members took loans and started businesses, becoming the support for their families. They are also inspiring other women. They are repaying the loans without leaving any arrears. Renuka has helped by forming the group and providing training, encouraging the women to engage in self-employment. All the members of the group have expressed their opinions about the DEAL Foundation. They feel proud to see an organization working for the benefit of disabled people and women. Previously confined to their homes, the formation of the group enabled them to start their own businesses, and the savings are helping them during tough times. Additionally, they can get loans from the group at low interest rates. They are inspiring other women by showing that self-employment is possible. The formation of the group has been very helpful. They express their gratitude on behalf of all the members of the group to Renuka and the DEAL Foundation for recognizing them and supporting them. They request that similar support be given to other women like them.
Thus, the DEAL Foundation is enabling members to live a self-reliant life through Livelihood Officers in every taluk, for both disabled people and women. The DEAL Foundation continues to earn more recognition, and all the disabled people and women wish for its success. For any specific questions related to this blog or any assistance, please contact Info@deal-foundation.com, and to learn more about our work, log in to www.deal-foundation. Thank you.