Poverty is about more than money, it’s about exclusion.
Udita: “We don’t believe in an individualistic approach, we believe in a group collective action. An SHG is a self-help group of women, between 12 to 15 members. They will have a thrift and credit facility, they will have their own bank account.”
Sagarika Gayen: “I am the chairperson of my group. Our group meets every Wednesday. We burn incense sticks. To keep the meetings timely, members must arrive before the incense burns out or pay a fine. We talk about everyone’s situation, who wants a loan from the group, and who needs to repay a loan.”
Arpita Mandal: “We discuss our children, how we can help them, and how we should invest our money.
98% of Trickle Up savings groups engage in collective action to improve their entire communities.
Lakshmi Mandal: “When we began the group, the people from Prasari, Trickle Up’s partner, told me to make a plan, and my plan was to raise chickens.”
Sagarika: “We provided a loan to another woman to start her incense business. She’s doing very well. I used my loan to start a fishery, which has made some profit.”
60% of participants take low-interest loans from their savings groups to grow their businesses and improve their homes.
Sukesh Mandal, Program Staff, Prasari: “The importance of the group is not only financial security. Any kind of problem the women encounter can be solved within the group.”
Lakshmi: “With my loan, I bought some bamboo to build a house. But it was destroyed in a fire. Many groups came together to help me with money and a place to stay. So I was able to rehabilitate my life.”
Lakshmi’s SHG motivated 299 participants in 19 other groups to contribute money to help rebuild her home, a 100% participation rate.
Arpita: “When I speak in my group, people listen. I have a strong voice now.”
Sukesh: “We can work on a larger scale than now, and help many more women.”
Sagarika: “My dream is for our group to develop into a true business cooperative. Using the earnings from our businesses, we will all lead a better life.”
Indigenous women who hail from our project areas in Oaxaca and Chiapas, Mexico, support Trickle Up in facilitating projects and connecting with target communities across the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. This region is known for having some of the highest levels of poverty in Mexico, and Trickle Up works closely with community leaders to best deliver programs that maximize impact and sustainable solutions.
Indigenous women from Trickle Up’s savings groups in Chiapas discuss how they feel, what they anticipate with saving and building their businesses, and their hopes for the future.
Indigenous women from Trickle Up’s project areas in Oaxaca and Chiapas, Mexico, recount how the FUERTE project has affected their lives and their observations on how their relationships and communities are transforming.
