Case Studies & Testimonies

 Tamizhselvi, aged 32 yearslives with her young daughter and aged mother in a remote village near Vedaranyam in Nagapattinam district of Tamil Nadu. Her husband has left her a few years back soon after her daughter was born. He has deserted her and moved to some other place. Since then, she has been fending for her family against all odds. She has always been confident and has taken this set back in her life boldly without succumbing to the pressure it had put on her. She started finding ways to survive. Like most other poor households, she also did not have any productive asset. All she knew was to work in the agricultural fields to earn some income. She also enrolled herself in the 100 days employment program.Philomina has always been a curious learner of new developments in her village. She was one of the early joiners in the SHGs promoted by NAMCO. She participated in all the training programs offered by NAMCO. It was in one of these instances, she participated in a skill training program on tailoring offered by NAMCO. She was a sincere learner in the program and emerged as a successful tailor confident to start on her own. However, she could not convince her husband to purchase a sewing machine then. Her interest to set up tailoring unit at home has been still lingering in her mind and continued to remain a trigger.

 

It was a few months back when had organized a sensitization program on solar products and technologies for livelihoods. They informed of the various products that are available in the market. “I was pleasantly surprised when they informed me of the solar powered sewing machine. In fact, this was a boon for me. The trigger in my mind started working fast. I wanted to somehow capitalize on the opportunity”, she recalls the moment she decided to purchase a solar powered sewing machine.

 

The decision was not so easy for her. She kept wondering why she should go for a solar powered machine when there are electricity powered ones or even the manual ones. She was very clear that there is a huge cost difference. She asked NAMCO team of the reasons for such high costs for solar powered machines. They explained her in detail how in the long run the solar powered machines can be cost effective and provide her higher returns. She was not immediately convinced. She was hesitant, but NAMCO informed her that they would help her to secure microfinance support to purchase the machine if she decides to do so.

 

The cost of the solar powered sewing machine along with a LED light and a fan was Rs. 35000. It was absolutely out of limit to manage. But NAMCO came forward and facilitated her to get credit support from ‘Velicham Finance Private Limited’, a NBFC with exclusive focus on lending for women entrepreneurs. .Velicham initiated the due diligence process and collected the KYC documents from her. She had maintained a good track record with the loans she had availed earlier in her SHGs and local MFIs. Velicham approved her loan application and sanctioned a loan of Rs. 25,000/-. This is repayable over 24 months and carries an interest of 18 percent on diminishing balance. This is a special loan promoted and offered by Velicham with the support of NAMCO for its clients. She managed to arrange the remaining amount and bought the sewing machine.

 

Mr. Jeevanandham was happy to share his views about Philomina when asked. He stated that she was one of the pioneers not only in her village but in the entire area in accepting a new technology and coming forward to try it boldly. This is a huge decision for her when we look at the investment involved. After her, there were a lot of women who followed her and showed interest in procuring the solar powered sewing machine.

 

She has started getting job orders from the families in her village and even from neighbouring villages. She is able to find a regular income. These days it is becoming difficult for her to manage her other wage-earning activities as an agricultural labour and 100 days employment scheme. However, the tailoring machine being a power machine, she does not feel the drudgery or physical burden. She is able to stich the clothes in the evening hours and earn an extra income. She is confident that soon it could become a full-time occupation for her since she has started getting more orders. When asked what she thinks about the decision of investing high amount and purchasing a solar powered machine, she says confidently, “I am sure this is a wise decision. I have not incurred any hike in electricity bill so far. I will not have to bother about that any more. Also, being different and something new in the village, more people come to see the machine and give me orders. I keep getting more and more orders”.

 

 

02.When Father of a Child Becomes the Perpetrator!

Human society has evolved over thousands of years and become civilized, yet the process is still not complete. Uncivilized acts of brutal nature keep happening in various corners of the world sending shivers across the society. Many such acts are not reported and hidden by the victims and their own family members fearing repercussions from law and society. Very often children are the victims since they are so meek and vulnerable.

CHILDLINE is a 24 X 7 emergency helpline set up by the CHILDLINE India Foundation under the aegis of the Ministry of Women and Child Development, Government of India. NAMCO (National Mother and Child welfare Organisation), a NGO based in Thiruvarur is the ‘collab’ agency for CHILDLINE in Thiruvarur district for the past 8 years. Since taking over NAMCO has been active in protecting children from all forms of abuses and hazards. In a year, NAMCO safeguards an average of about 300 children.

The CHILDLINE team of NAMCO received a call from a villager from a village, Semangalam post, Thiruvarur district. The caller identified as a neighbour of family where a three year old girl child is sexually abused and suffering. The caller pleaded CHILDLINE to intervene and give medical care to the child. NAMCO swing into action immediately and visited the village. NAMCO’s team member identified the family and enquired about the child.

Ms. Xxxx  is the mother of the child. She is an agricultural labour. Her husband, Mr. Rajendiran is a mason. He is severely addicted to alcohol and often comes fully drunk to the home. Many times he picks up a quarrel over trivial issues and beats up xxxx . He cares little for the children at home. They have a three-year old daughter and a five-year old son. It was recently that he wasn’t going for work and remained often at home. However, xxxx had to go out for work leaving the children at home with the father. During such days Rajendiran got drunk in the day time too. He started abusing her own daughter in the absence of xxxx.

One day her daughter was crying and was bleeding in her private parts. xxxx was shocked and did not know what to do. She was trying to help her daughter and console her not to cry. However, her crying did not stop for long. It was then the neighbour noticed this and approached xxxx to help her. But xxxx was not forthcoming in letting her neighbour know about the suffering of her daughter. However, the neighbour could sense that something really working has happened there. She called up CHILDLINE and reported thinking that the child can be saved with timely medical care.

When the NAMCO’s team reached the village and identified the family, xxxx was vehemently arguing with them that her daughter was completely alright and that they have received some wrong information. However, when she saw that NAMCO’s team was serious, she started pleading with them to protect her husband. NAMCO’s team was started acting swiftly. They informed the police, Child Welfare Committee (CWC) and the District Child Protection Officer (DCPO) and arranged to rescue the child and admit it to the district Medical college hospital. The police arrested Rajendiran and remanded him to judicial custody. After about 15 days, when the child has recovered, NAMCO’s team arranged to handover the child to her grand-mother.

I am Devi, one of the Directors of the NAMCO Jeevan Farmers Producer Organization. Through this FPO, we have extended credit to more than 420 members, facilitated by the collaboration with TdH. Our members have received skill training on various livelihoods and have used this credit facility to set up farm and non-farm based livelihoods. They are able to enhance their household income now. I am myself an entrepreneur running a small garments shop, standing as a testimony to more than 400 of our woman members.

I am Devi Senthil, president of Thennadar Panchayat in Nagapattinam district. I have always been looking for opportunities to support our people in their livelihood endeavours. During this time I heard about NAMCO's initiatives in promoting Farmers Producer Organizations and extending livelihood building programs through the collective. On my invitation, NAMCO started working in our village. A number of landless women have joined the FPO and have received training on goat rearing and value addition to goat milk. They are able to produce soaps and other cosmetics from goat milk which is slowly gaining traction in the urban markets. We are thankful to NAMCO while assuring fullest cooperation for any development intervention in our village.

 

I am Devaki, a social worker from Jambavanodai village near Muthupettai. There was an orphaned elderly woman in our village requiring care and support. When I reached out to many homes for the elderly, they didn't respond positively and denied intake. Somehow the news about this elderly woman reached media and was reported in 'Dinakaran', a Tamil newspaper. On seeing this NAMCO reached out to me and immediately facilitated intake if the elderly woman in one of their homes. I am completely relieved now and feel so happy for the elderly woman that she is in a very safe place. I am so thankful to NAMCO for putting compassion before all other operational difficulties.