Car Nicobar, May 3: The District Administration, Nicobar is conducting a 5 week long village level SHG awareness camps with a vision to financially and socially empower woman by organizing them in SHGs and enhancing their income by engaging them in various commercial activities. This will in turn provide better quality of life to households.
The SHG awareness campaign which started from April 24 will spread over five weeks covering three villages each week. In first week, awareness camps were conducted at Sawai, Arong and Tee-Top villages. People were informed about Government support of Rs. 15,000 and Rs. 1.5 lakhs at different stages of SHGs formation and functioning. Each village saw enthusiastic participation from locals and every community hall was packed with locals numbering from 150-200 in every programme.
On the spot registration facilitation for SHG is also provided. Woman were elated to see the power of micro savings and small business and readily agreed to form SHGs. Prior experienced and skilled ex-students of Industries Department and young, educated, non working women were especially encouraged to form SHGs. In the first week itself, 6 new SHG were formed in Car Nicobar District and training has been imparted in book keeping to SHGs.
The District Administration is conducting camps bilingually in Hindi and local Nicobarese language for better understanding of people. Existing SHGs also shared their experience on how each SHG mela enabled them to make sales worth Rs. 15k- 20k on daily basis. After the village level campaign, to saturate SHGs formation, the District Administration envisages starting a Door to Door Awareness -cum -Survey to reach out to the left out women.
The District Administration has a vision to promote the SHGs by providing regular training through various Line Department like Agriculture, Industries, Fisheries, Veterinary & Banking Institution to improve skill by RSETI, ITI, Industries, KVK-I CAR, regular training in book keeping of SHGs, regular inspections of all SHGs by Community Resource Persons (CRPs). Weekly SHG Melas and cultural evenings will also be held to showcase and boost the local Nicobarese products made by SHG like Mats (Chatai from Pendanus tree), Hodis (local boat), pickles (Octopus and fish pickles), Nicobarese aloo products, Kevadi (local staple diet fruit dishes) and coconut snacks, organic handmade virgin coconut oil etc.
The District Administration has appealed to all women to come forward and avail the benefits of the scheme for a better future.
