Indira Gandhi Sanjeevini Mahila Shg

Out in Katageri village, which is part of the Badami block, life moves at its own pace. We are the Indira Gandhi Sanjeevini Mahila Shg, and there’s a good number of us involved now. You can see us every day at the local temple or the market because we are all neighbors. Pooling our tiny savings seemed like a good idea to get things started. Most of us come from families that work the land, so we are used to long days and tired hands. When the sun gets too hot for field work, we gather in the shade to talk. Our conversations range from the price of grain to how the local school is doing. We’ve been thinking about making food items to sell, but nothing is official yet. Our setup is very basic and not polished at all. Sometimes we have loud arguments about small things, but that’s just how it goes when you’ve known each other forever. You won’t find any websites or fancy signs for us. If you need to find the group, just ask anyone in Katageri where the women meet. Having something of our own gives us a lot of pride. It’s mostly about not having to ask for help every time a small bill comes due. We are just trying to build a bit of a better life for ourselves and our kids through this group. We just keep working together because it is the only way for us to move ahead. Every meeting we have brings us a little bit closer.