Women in Lesliganj are looking beyond loans for livelihoods. Other than for income-generation activities, women have also taken loans for their children’s education. Since it is up to the SHGs or the Village Organisations or finally the Cluster Level Federations –conglomerates of SHGs at various levels—to sanction the loan, such requests are not turned down.

In Lesliganj block of Palamu district in Jharkhand, a loan of Rs 7 lakh has been taken by 20 women—all of whom are members—from their SHGs. This is for paying the school fee, admission for higher education or even professional training. While most of the women first choose to enhance their income through livelihood projects, there are some who also give equal preference to their children’s education and would borrow money from the SHG to meet the educational needs, if they are unable to do so through their regular family income.

The National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM), an initiative of the Government of India that is aimed at achieving universal financial inclusion of poor households through the grass-roots mobilization of women’s Self-help Groups (SHGs), is also helping in promoting school and technical education as well as skill development of income-poor groups, either directly through loans or indirectly by improving the financial status of the families so that the children’s education is not interrupted.

Sunita Devi, whose son is serving the Army, took a loan of 20,000 INR (245 USD approx.) for his education before he was selected to join the defence service. He is now posted in Rajasthan. ``I had taken a loan to open a grocery shop but needed more money just before my son’s selection. I approached the SHG and they obliged. I am so happy that my son is settled now,’’ she says.

Saroj Devi has been a member of the SHG since 2016. Her husband had opposed her joining the group but she insisted because she knew it would help her in the long run. She first took a loan to buy a thresher that is giving her a regular income now. Saroj Devi repaid this loan before taking another loan of 50,000 INR (613 USD approx.) to support her two children’s education, both of whom were studying in a private school. ``Now, one of my sons is pursuing an engineering course in Bengaluru and the second one is studying in Lucknow. One of the two boys now wants a laptop that costs 65,000 INR (800 USD approx.) and Saroj is thinking of taking another loan for this purpose,’ she says. A loan is approved only if any previous loan is repaid.

``Joining the SHG has not only helped us gain knowledge but also offered us timely solutions for our problems,’’ Saroj Devi says as other women of the Cluster agree with her. As many as 4,876 women members who are associated with different SHGs are also members of Kundri Ajeevika Mahila Sangathan, a Cluster Level Federation. The Federation, presided over by Seema Devi, is a conglomerate of 28 Village Organisations that, in turn, are formed by combining several SHGs. Being part of CLF helps in accessing loans from the bank.

Another member was also given a loan of Rs 80,000 that she needed to pay for her son’s schooling in the Sainik School where the annual fee was 1.5 Lakh INR (1840 USD approx.). The remaining was taken care of by a scholarship.

Seema Devi has two children and both are studying in a private school where the fee is high, and the couple found it difficult to pay. But keen not to stop their schooling, she took a loan to expand her grocery shop so that the family income would grow and the children’s education would be taken care of. Her decision was right. Seema Devi’s son is now in the final year of B. Commerce and intends to do a course in hotel management from Kolkata.

Priyanka Devi says she took a loan of 20,000 INR (245 USD approx.) from her SHG to start a shop. She knew stitching so started tailoring also after joining the group in 2016. She earns enough now to send her daughter to a private school and son to Patna for higher studies.

Bindiya Devi, also an elected member of Panchayat Samiti, says that Jharkhand State Livelihood Promotion Society (JSLPS)—the name given to the rural livelihood mission in Jharkhand—has changed the lives of many women. Some have even managed to send their children to the famous Netarhat Residential School. Bidiya Devi is the accountant at the Cluster Level Federation and keeps track of the money flow.