Dungriguda village of Bikrampur Gram Panchayat in Nabarangpur District of Odisha has 288 households. Almost 70% of the households are small and marginal farmers. Farming is the major source of livelihood and is predominantly rainfed. Although engaged in farming and allied activities, the income levels are inadequate for sustenance and living. The scenario has compelled most men to migrate to nearby towns and cities for labour. Women of this village faced innumerable barriers due to lack of decision-making power, input and knowledge. They were involved in unpaid work due to a lack of relevant skills.
Indra SHG was formed in 2015 with ten women with similar economic status and livelihoods. The SHG initially served as a platform for savings and internal lending. Within a few months, the SHG became defunct due to a lack of cooperation among members and discontinued savings.
In 2018, Harsha Trust, with the support of the Ernst & Young (EY) Foundation, started engaging women SHGs in community-based rural entrepreneurship. The CSPs trained and capacitated by Harsha Trust have engaged in meetings and orientation with Indra SHG and identified challenges and scope for income generation activities. Frequent interactions and active participation of members in monthly meetings encouraged them to revive their SHG and streamline savings and Credit. The women members also attended training Programmes and exposure visits organised by Harsha Trust to promote alternative livelihood options.
Indra SHG evolved into an economic entity, enabling women members to take up diverse entrepreneurial activities through convergence with different line departments, such as
- Mushroom Cultivation
- Pisciculture
- Nursery Raising
- Goat Rearing
Pisciculture
In 2018, Indra SHG took the village pond from Gram Panchayat for lease to start fish farming. The lease tenure was five years, and they paid a yearly deposit of ₹ 2,000/- to the Gram Panchayat. The training program organised by Harsha Trust in convergence with the Fisheries and Animal Resources Development Department kickstarted this initiative. The SHG continues to reap the benefits of fish farming yearly and has earned a lumpsum of ₹ 3,55,500/- till 2022.
| Pisciculture (Fish Farming) | |||
| Year | Total Expenditure (₹) | Total Profit (₹) | Net income (₹) |
| 2018 | 22,000 | 80,000 | 58,200 |
| 2019 | 38,000 | 1,65,000 | 1,27,000 |
| 2020 | 26,500 | 88,000 | 61,500 |
| 2021 | 24,800 | 75,000 | 50,200 |
| 2022 | 25,400 | 84,000 | 58,600 |
| Total | 3,55,500 | ||
Community Nursery
In 2020, Indra SHG established a Community Nursery and raised 2,000 Papaya plants and 2,000 Drumstick Plants. They had sold these saplings to the other SHG Members in their Gram Panchayat and nearby villages. The SHG also facilitated a CLF meeting and encouraged each household to do a plantation of at least four saplings in the backyard space.
| Community Nursery | ||||
| Plants | Nos. | Expenditure including Transportation (₹) | Profit (₹) | Net Profit (₹) |
| Papaya | 2,200 | 5,500 | 10,000 | 4,500 |
| Drumstick | 2,200 | 5,800 | 10,000 | 4,200 |
| Total | 11,300 | 20,000 | 8,700 | |
Mushroom Cultivation
The SHG members started cultivating Oyster Mushrooms after attending on-the-field training on Mushroom Cultivation at Dungriguda village, organised by Harsha Trust in convergence with the Horticulture Department in October 2020. They also had an exposure visit to KVK (Krishi Vigyan Kendra), Nabarangpur, in November 2020. Apart from sufficing the household consumption of members, the intervention has provided a net profit of ₹ 87,700/-.
| Oyster Mushroom Cultivation (Two cycles per year) | ||||
| Year | No. of Beds | Expenditure (₹) | Gross Profit (₹) | Net Profit (₹) |
| 2020 | 75 | 2,700 | 22,000 | 19,300 |
| 2021 | 130 | 4,400 | 36,000 | 31,600 |
| 2022 | 150 | 5,200 | 42,000 | 36,800 |
| Total | 355 | 12,300 | 1,00,000 | 87,700 |
Goat Rearing
In convergence with the Veterinary Department of Nabarangpur, Indra SHG embarked on a new venture in July 2022 – goat rearing. This initiative received a significant boost from the Veterinary Department, which provided the SHG with 30 Mother Goats and 2 Bucks as a grant.
Training on scientific goat-rearing practices was imparted to them, organised by Harsha Trust. Within one year, the herd size increased to 40 female goats and five bucks, and it has already earned an income of ₹ 35,000/- by selling five goats. They have planned to construct an additional shed to accommodate the increasing number of goats.
Credit Linkage
Members of the Indra SHG exhibit diligent financial habits, saving ₹ 150/- each month. Demonstrating their solidarity, the group efficiently facilitated internal lending transactions amounting to ₹ 1,30,000/- for Kharif cultivation.
The SHG availed the loan on a term basis to start entrepreneurial activities and successfully repaid the first two loans. Their creditworthiness has encouraged the bank to support the future activities of the SHG.
- May, 2019 – ₹ 1,50,000 /-
- June, 2020 – ₹ 2,00,000 /-
- August, 2022 -₹ 2,00,000/- (Ongoing)
Challenges and Learnings
- Less cooperation and understanding between members have been roadblocks for SHG to take up income generation activities in the initial stage. The members lack the technical support and input to start the off-farm business.
- Bank linkages and convergence with line departments for availing training and handholding support have enabled them to overcome the hurdles.
- Through regular orientation, training and capacity building, the SHG could unleash the economic potential of rural livelihoods
Indra SHG has emerged as a beacon of hope and success, offering its experience and expertise as a valuable resource platform. It provides training to other SHGs to adopt Seed Treatment, Mushroom Bed preparation, Nutri Garden Bed Preparation and Poultry Birds Vaccination. Inspired by the remarkable achievements of the Indra SHG, several other SHGs in Dungriguda and neighbouring villages have expressed keen interest in establishing similar livelihood models. This year, the impact of the Indra SHG’s success is evidenced by the encouraging fact that 15 new SHGs have sought the guidance of Harsha Trust to initiate mushroom cultivation and goat-rearing projects.
Way Forward
The collective efforts of SHG members to learn and adopt improved practices, seek support from government departments and manage the income for reinvesting in business played a key role in the success of SHG-based economic models. Looking forward, the self-sustaining Indra SHG sets its sights on a promising future. Plans include establishing a local spawn production unit for straw and oyster mushrooms in collaboration with the Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA). The SHG is set to extend its lease for five more years, enabling the continuation of fish rearing. Additionally, this year marks the inception of poultry farming as a new venture and initiated active discussions with the veterinary department.
