Shreepal Saptasagar
UNICEF Intia - Hiv-aids-työn koordinaattori
January 1, 2009
Help People Help Themselves
We know the story of Vasanti (July Blog), a young widow who fought for a long time to stand on her own feet and take care of her three daughters. Support from UNICEF’s Young People Programme, capacity building from local non governmental groups and her own involvement in HIV and AIDS programmes made it all possible.
Two years back, I was discussing with her the social stigma and discrimination of people living with HIV and AIDS. After long discussions with her and other fellow women, we came up with an innovative concept on how to reduce social stigma and discrimination.
The idea was to establish a group of HIV positive and negative women as a self-help group and to start income generating activities. These groups represent a safe forum for women to discuss sensitive issues such as sex and sexuality, condoms, sexually transmitted diseases, HIV and AIDS, etc...
Vasanti took this as a challenge and formed the first Women Self-Help Group involving 7 HIV-positive women and 5 HIV-negative women. In less than 3 months, the group was able to start a monthly savings scheme and opened a bank account. This group was then linked with the local Electronic Production Unit, where the women started getting jobs and group members began receiving monthly wages.
It is surprising to see how all the members of the group are now working together, sharing their meals, visiting each others homes, celebrating their birthdays and creating awareness about HIV and AIDS in the community.
In just one year and a half, Vasanti and her team have established more than 14 such groups involving 117 HIV positive women and 65 HIV-negative women. The groups now have links with financial institutions and their concept was appreciated by the World Bank who promoted them at the ‘South Asia Regional Development Marketplace Committee’.
People like Vasanti and her ‘Self-Help Groups’ need both technical and financial support to take such actions forward. Let us help people to help themselves!
