SELF-HELP GROUPS

What is a self-help group (SHG)?

SHG primarily comprises members with homogenous social and economic backgrounds. It is a voluntarily formed group consisting of women, rural labourers, small farmers and micro-enterprises . The concept is akin to the concept of democracy. SHGs are formed by the members, for the members and of the members. The number of members could be as less as five and could even go up to 20. They save and contribute to a common fund which is used to lend to the memWhat are the goals of an SHG?

An SHG is seen as an instrument for achieving a variety of goals, including empowering women. Data from Nabard, which pioneered the concept, shows that 90% of members in the SHG are women and most of them do not have any assets. It also helps in developing leadership abilities among the poor, increasing school enrolments, improving nutrition and in birth control. An SHG is generally started by non-profit organisations, such as an NGO with broad anti-poverty agendas. It is also a popular channel of micro-lending by commercial banks, particularly government-run banks.

What are the advantages of financing through an SHG?

A poor individual benefits enormously being part of an SHG . Raising finance through SHGs reduces transaction costs for both lenders and borrowers. Lenders have to handle only a single SHG account instead of a large number of small-sized individual accounts, borrowers as part of an SHG cut down expenses on travel to the branch to get the loan sanctioned.

What are the different ways in which banks fund SHGs?

Banks deal directly with individual SHGs . They provide financial assistance to each SHG for lending to individual members. Alternatively, banks provide loans to SHGs with recommendation from NGOs. Here the SHGs are formed by NGOs or government agencies, which raise funds from banks. In this, NGOs would organise the poor into SHGs , undertake training, help in arranging inputs and marketing and assist in maintenance of accounts.