LIVELIHOOD
Integrated Livelihood Development Program (ILDP)
This project has been initiated in association of Letz Dream Foundation. The project follows Graduation based Approach. Considering the existence of community that are below the subsistence level, out of 5000 targeted HHs in total 5 Gram Panchayat, 2400 HHs has been identified as Ultra Poor. These 2400 Ultra Poor HHs will be mobilized into 240 SHGs in order to provide them a regular and time bound cash transfer which would enable them to meet basic needs. While the Project aims at pulling these 2400 HHs out of poverty, simultaneously the holistic development of the remaining 2600 Poor households is also carried out.
Savings & Credit Based Women's Institutions ;-
Spectra works organising rural women to give them economic and social independence through savings and credit based women's institutions, which provide them an opportunity to share, participate, and raise issues concerning their lives and take decisions.
Institution Building;- Promoting community-based institutions for women empowerment is the core to Spectra’s mission. These institutions empower women - to change power relations in their family and in the society, to foster decision-making power among women, to enhance their degree of control over resources and provide them space for visibility and collective action. Spectra’s three tier Institutional architecture (SHGs, Clusters and Federations or Manch) forms the base for implementing different programmes for Financial Inclusion, Livelihoods, Girls Empowerment and Rights & Entitlements. Spectra has promoted 3 federations. Currently, two federations- Udaan, and Parvaj, registered as Trusts work autonomously with handholding support from Spectra.
Capacity Building:- The institutions (SHGs, Clusters, Federations or Manch) provide the platform for capacity building of the community in general and that of women leaders in particular. Members of the SHGs are provided regular training for strengthening their management skills in running the institutions. In addition to information about better agriculture and animal husbandry practices, women members are also chosen and trained for different roles such as Community Resource Persons, Sakhis (Pashu,SHG, Adhikaar, Krishi, etc.) that helps them earn supplementary income.
Financial Inclusion:- Through becoming members of SHGs women do regular savings, access loans, and thus reduce the risk of social exclusion and poverty. Federations help SHGs access credit from banks and themselves also advance two kinds of loans to SHGs – loan for New shops open and expansion old shop. A member ship of Federation's Saving provision is made to cover expenditure during festivals and special occasions without affecting the groups’ saving.
Through NABARD, SHG data is being digitized with help of smartphones and SHG Shakhi (Animators). The project aims at digitisation of all the SHG accounts to bring SHG members under the fold of Financial Inclusion thereby helping them access wider range of financial services together with increasing the bankers' comfort. The digitization will help improve the interface between SHG members and Banks providing a hassle-free delivery of banking services, easy credit appraisal and linkage to universal delivery systems.
Livelihoods-Spectra has introduced interventions in agriculture, animal husbandry as well as entrepreneurship to help local women earn additional and increased income through new and improved methods. Along with capacity building for better practices, Spectra has also facilitated the formation of 2 Producer Companies for Agricultural Produce, Goat Rearing, and Dairy Farming.
Agriculture-based Livelihoods- A local cadre of women called Krishi Sakhis are trained in enhanced agricultural practices to implement and disseminate knowledge that will help women farmers increase yield. The Krishi Sakhis conduct village level campaigns and help select farmers from Self Help Groups to increase their income through training on improved agriculture practices (Grameen Ajeevika Pathshalas), cultivation of cash crops, pulses and vegetables crops (inter-cropping), Technology Demonstration Canters (Pilot Plots), and facilitating backward and forward linkages with technical institutions and the market. Spectra has additionally promoted a women farmers owned Spectra Adarsh Utpadak Mahila Producer Company Ltd that has over 700 women members.
Goat-based Livelihoods:- Spectra works with over 2600 goat-rearing families and through Pashu Sakhis provides them services and technical inputs for better yield throughout the year. The beneficiaries are added through ‘Goat Pass on Gift’ method and Goat leasing by Spectra Adarsh Utpadak Mahila Producer company ltd.
Women Entrepreneurs:- Entrepreneurship amongst women is promoted by providing them with market knowledge as well as financial help. Women members of the SHGs can secure loans to start small shops in their village thus reducing their dependence on agriculture or animal husbandry based income. Women are also provided market knowledge to source stock and Spectra provides hand holding support for maintaining accounts. As part of this intervention, many women have opened shops of cosmetics, general stores, animal feed, tailoring, etc. and are earning additional income
Spectra works with over 2600 goat-rearing families and through Pashu Sakhis provides them services and technical inputs for better yield throughout the year. The beneficiaries are added through ‘Goat Pass on Gift’ method and Goat leasing by Spectra Adarsh Utpadak Mahila Producer company ltd.
Women Entrepreneurs:- Entrepreneurship amongst women is promoted by providing them with market knowledge as well as financial help. Women members of the SHGs can secure loans to start small shops in their village thus reducing their dependence on agriculture or animal husbandry based income. Women are also provided market knowledge to source stock and Spectra provides hand holding support for maintaining accounts. As part of this intervention, many women have opened shops of cosmetics, general stores, animal feed, tailoring, etc. and are earning additional income.
Dairy-based livelihoods:- Spectra is working with dairy farmers since 2012-13 for productivity enhancement of milk in Kishangarh Bas and Umrain block of Alwar district. About 40% increase in milk yield happened by adoption of improved animal husbandry practices. To provide market linkage to farmers, over 1150 farmers have been linked with Milk collection canters -Milk Procurement Points (MPP) run by SHGs women's which ensures a fair price for their milk. A community cadre of Pashu Sakhis are trained to conduct monthly meetings and trainings with women farmers on feeding, housing, and health of dairy animals.
As so far we concern that 63-70% of Indian population are align with agriculture either directly or indirectly. But the situation is not good for women farmers in India. SPECTRA initiated 25 Women Farmers Club with the support of NABARD including the SHG members. They are facilitating improved agricultural techniques among others. We promote them for work on Ajola, Vermi compost unit, SRI techniques, goat shed etc. and earn money for their own. Our agriculture experts provide their guidance timely to farmers.
A JLG is an Informal group in which 4-10 individuals come together and form a group. The farmers who don’t have land and do agriculture in others fields have been selected for JLGs. Currently we have 150 JLGs and in each 4 members are selected who agree and avail the loan in group through a formal agreement. With the support of NABARD, bank loan is provided through PNB bank at 0.7% interest and if the repayment amount will be collected at time given, interest would be minimized at 0.3% from the members of JLGs. The aim of this program is to uplift the poor/marginal/land less famers in the area of agriculture, so that they can enhance their livelihood.
