Village Profile: The Microfinance Initiative in Juri, Purulia

Women participating in the Microfinance Initiative, gathered in Juri, Purulia.

In Juri, a group of 10 tribal women came together in March 2006 and formed a Self-Help Group with the assistance Village Earth-Purulia. With effective facilitation, the group created a blueprint for their future. Using their own savings of 3000 rupees (US$66), and obtaining a small loan from the Purulia Microfinance Initiative of 2500 rupees (US$55), (provided by Village Earth as seed money for the Initiative) these women bought 10 female goats with kids. By rearing both the goats and the kids they are expecting return after six months' time. The projected income is 12000 rupees. Inspired by this group, all of the other women in Juri together formed 8 more groups (10 women per group).

The staff of Village Earth-Purulia have worked closely with these women, and have listened to them share their aspirations to improve their lives and livelihoods by joining the Purulia Microfinance Initiative. Each group has designed manageable plans for the small loans they will obtain. For example, one group has requested a loan for 5000 rupees (US$111) for a three-month rice making project. As one woman explained the project, “In the month of November we will buy paddy directly from the field, boil them by collecting woods from Ayodhya Hill and will make rice. We will sell rice in the market directly. In this way we can earn more by avoiding middleman. Out of the profit, we will back the loan and save as seed money. O babu, takata de, amra thik sodh kore debo [Sir, give us a loan and we promise to pay it back]”.