Self Help Groups (SHG)

The Women's Self-Help Group (SHG) Programme constitutes the foundation of all SPS work. Most members of these SHGs belong to marginalised communities — the poor, landless, and displaced people. This programme operates in 8 blocks of Dewas and Khargone districts in Madhya Pradesh and one block of Amravati district in Maharashtra. As these disadvantaged women learn to manage their own series of nested institutions — SHGs, Cluster Development Associations (comprising 15–20 SHGs each), and Federations (consisting of around 200 SHGs) — a completely new dynamic is introduced to the development process in the area.

The women's federations of SHGs play a pivotal role as a building block for effectively empowering the poor in the tribal drylands of India, providing these regions with a necessary voice in the development process. These SHG federations, as community institutions, serve as the voice of the people, working closely in partnerships with the government, federations, and other CSOs.

Financial Products & Services

Our SHGs offer a range of financial products to their members, including regular savings, recurring deposits, fixed deposits, loans against fixed deposits, and emergency loans — each carefully evaluated by the members themselves. Additionally, they facilitate collective purchases of basic daily life needs, loans for cattle, well construction, cattle insurance, life insurance, etc. As of March 2023, the programme has reached 535 villages and 15 towns, forming 2,882 women's SHGs with a total membership of 38,690 women, total member savings amounting to ₹63.51 Crore, and a total outstanding loan of ₹116 Crore. Impressively, 92% of our SHGs have successfully linked with banks and other financial institutions. SPS has already facilitated the formation of 11 SHG Federations as independent registered societies, with 4 more in progress.

Technology & Digitisation

With the implementation of accounting-cum-MIS software Pragati Mitra, and field-level software Pragati Vistaar, SHG operations are streamlined, organised, transparent, and more efficient. The SHG Programme stands out as the only one of its kind that shares CIBIL data with other financial institutions, ensuring safe debt borrowing trends among marginalised SHG members. In the era of digitisation, SPS is eager to fully digitise the entire process, aiming for digital literacy among all its members.

In its commitment to enhancing financial and digital literacy among SHG members, members have initiated the provision of mobile phones based on demand. A total of 6,500 SHG members have taken mobiles on the basis of demand. Continuous training sessions are conducted to empower SHG members with the effective usage of mobile phones for improved efficiency and connectivity.

Income Distribution Model

After five years of operation, the SHG program has established a robust income distribution model. The generated income is distributed in three parts: 50% allocated as surplus, 20% dedicated to the social fund, and 30% earmarked for contingency fund. In the last two years, the surplus of ₹4.24 crore has been distributed among SHG members. Additionally, a noteworthy amount of ₹18,00,000 has been directed towards the social fund by the self-help groups.