The self-help groups’ promotion pilot project, which was started over a year ago, has been elevated to a program unit with the employment of one project officer and four community facilitators recruited from among the community. The SHG unit has successfully organized 20 women groups to mobilize saving and to promote self-help among themselves. They have also been provided with capacity building and training in the areas of leadership, communication, literacy, basic bookkeeping, HIV/AIDS prevention, etc.
Self-help Groups formation & promotion pilot program
By partnering with DED (German Development Service) through the financial support of KNH (Kindernothilfe e.V), AfD introduced the Self-Help Group (SHG) formation and promotion pilot project in Akaki by first conducting a workshop at the end of 2002. In 2003, 12 SHGs were first organized with 220 members. But as the groups initially formed were not as such homogeneous and since the formation process did not employ any PRA (participatory rural/rapid appraisal) technique, the 12 self help groups had to be abandoned and new groups organized based on the basic principles and procedures for SHG formation and promotion.
This program aims to assist poor and marginalizes groups (especially women and youth groups) working for the amelioration of economic and/or social conditions by mobilizing, organizing and promoting self-help so that they start solving their own socioeconomic problems through group action. In a country where handouts and dependency on external support is rather deep-rooted, both in rural and urban settings, such a new development approach is indeed essential. Hence, in 2004 AfD started the SHG promotion and formation work in six kebeles (03, 04, 05, 06, 07 and 08) in Akaki. |
