Women in the poorest communities in South India are able to access the financial platform, community support and specific training they need to transform their families' lives thanks to the self-help groups your generosity funds.

The impact of these groups, however, goes far beyond the individuals and their families, delivering a wide range of benefits to the communities in which they live.

Community leadership

Trained by RTU and empowered by their membership of self-help groups, 308 representatives from the groups took part in Grama Shaba (local democratic) meetings. There they discussed and resolved a broad range of local issues such as:

• village infrastructure facilities (eg drinking water, roads and lighting, individual house toilets)
• social audits and the availability of new schemes
• analysis of the community budget

On International Women's Day, self-help group members organised and led celebrations alongside girls who study in RTU evening study centres. They took oaths against child marriage and child labour, made a commitment towards helping to prevent domestic violence and alcoholism, and encouraged the girls to get a good education in this competitive world.

Raising awareness of support

Legal aid campaigns taught self-help group members about women's rights and the right to information, empowering local women. After 173 members participated, no fewer than 53 cases were filed in the District Court as communities sought the justice they would otherwise have never realised was their right.

Meanwhile, 43 members from the local area participated in a training day in Poosaripatti village on new welfare schemes for rural women; and 410 members claimed 49 lakhs from the government after constructing individual household toilets thanks to support from RTU.

Changing the record

Without the support of the self-help groups, many women from the poorest families in South India struggle with the basic needs of their family. With the start these groups provide, they are empowered, educated and confident not just to provide for their families, but also to create lasting change in these rural communities.

Help us to set up more opportunities to enable rural women to create a positive impact on their communities.

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