Sri Ayyappan Shg

Our group, Sri Ayyappan Shg, is based in Mappadugai, in the Mayiladuthurai block of Nagapattinam. All of us grew up in this area and we’ve known each other’s families for years. Starting this group was a way for us to do something more than just our daily chores at home. We wanted to see if we could create our own opportunities by working together. We meet often at one of our houses to talk about our small savings and what we plan to do next. Managing the house and the group at the same time isn't always easy, but we make it work somehow. We might do some small-scale work or just help a member with a loan if they are in a difficult spot. There are no experts here to tell us what to do; we just use our own sense and talk until we agree on something. We have our fair share of arguments, but we always end up sorting them out. We don't want to be a big, famous company. Our only real goal is to help our families and feel proud of the work we do. Being part of this group helps us feel stronger. We are just local people trying to make a go of it in Mappadugai. We just keep moving forward one day at a time. It’s a slow process but we don't mind as long as we are together. We hope that our group stays strong for a long time.