Change co-operative
Parimal Dabhi Posted online: Sun Jun 29 2008, 09:44 hrs
An illiterate village woman is the pivot of a silent revolution, changing the lives of one of Gujarat’s most backward communities
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A determined village woman who can’t read or write is the pivot of a silent revolution, changing the lives and times of one of Gujarat’s most backward communities
With their lightened ebony complexion, curly hair and distinct characteristics of Negroid stock and unique cultural ethos, the Siddis of Jambur trace their roots to Africa. The general theory is that they had stepped off Arab trading ships that used to dock here centuries ago. Marginalised and mostly illiterate, the Siddis have been living by manual labour, besides a pittance from occasionally performing and exhibiting themselves for tourists on the state circuit.
But things are changing fast for the Siddis, and the catalyst is an illiterate woman—Hirbai Lobi. Thanks to this doughty woman, the Siddis are slowly but surely getting out of their time warp.
The agents of change that Lobi has brought to this community, spread over 18 villages in Saurashtra, include a sound co-operative movement, family planning initiatives, and small savings groups. The herald of the change were the 11 all-women co-operatives that Lobi helped set up in the community—which soon had the men folk follow.
It was no overnight miracle. Lobi had been working steadily, quietly on it for decades as the village sarpanch and also with some NGOs. “The problem with our community used to be that they were reluctant to positive change. We have been living here for years, in pathetic conditions. Initially, they even suspected my intentions when I began pushing for change,” recalls Lobi
Her latest initiative has been to market branded vermicompost made by the Siddis. The brand, ‘Panchtatva Brand Sendriya Khatar Powder’ will be sold through a through a Siddi women co-operative society. The manufacture is the collective manual effort of women, but locally this brand is now giving a tough competition to companies who are into this business. Lobi’s success is significant in that earlier these women used to go around individually to sell the vermicost to farmers and shopkeepers with little say over the market conditions—the women now have nine different marketing agents who look after the sale.
“I used to live off manual labour in the jungle, but now I earn Rs 100 a day,” says Jiluben Modi, one of the 25 women in Lobi’s vermicompost manufacturing group, the Nagarchi Mahila Mandal, now selling vermicompost worth Rs 6-7 lakh a year.
Amulaben Darjada, 65, who has been with Lobi in all her efforts from the beginning says the menfolk stayed away in the early days. “None of them came to help us in the beginning. Only Lobi had the courage to push for change.”
Lobi chose to bank on women as change agents, and this was not easy even as she set off with a women’s co-operative for mobilising monthly savings, with the help of an NGO.
“The community’s men kept discouraging me.” Things were so difficult that even women who were convinced about the saving concept used to give her the savings money undercover. “I used to go to their homes wearing gunny bags to collect the monthly saving installments, so that their male family members would not recognise me,” she says.
The women co-operatives have now also started lending money to the members. Before launching the co-operatives, Lobi had started awareness initiatives among the women, on basic health issues.
Time was when Lobi was hardly taken seriously. “But once our activities began getting noticed, I knew there would be no looking back, particularly after the co-operatives picked up.”
The men now too have begun to appreciate the efforts. Bachu Makwana, a fellow villager says, “Due to her efforts, a lot of women have now started getting employment. Following her co-operative movement, now even men have started showing interest in them.”
After Lobi helped put up a community school, the Siddis now have a bigger dream—a college in their village. And like all Siddi dreams, this too revolves around this doughty little woman who walks with them.
+-+Copy.JPG)
A determined village woman who can’t read or write is the pivot of a silent revolution, changing the lives and times of one of Gujarat’s most backward communitiesWith their lightened ebony complexion, curly hair and distinct characteristics of Negroid stock and unique cultural ethos, the Siddis of Jambur trace their roots to Africa. The general theory is that they had stepped off Arab trading ships that used to dock here centuries ago. Marginalised and mostly illiterate, the Siddis have been living by manual labour, besides a pittance from occasionally performing and exhibiting themselves for tourists on the state circuit.
But things are changing fast for the Siddis, and the catalyst is an illiterate woman—Hirbai Lobi. Thanks to this doughty woman, the Siddis are slowly but surely getting out of their time warp.
The agents of change that Lobi has brought to this community, spread over 18 villages in Saurashtra, include a sound co-operative movement, family planning initiatives, and small savings groups. The herald of the change were the 11 all-women co-operatives that Lobi helped set up in the community—which soon had the men folk follow.
It was no overnight miracle. Lobi had been working steadily, quietly on it for decades as the village sarpanch and also with some NGOs. “The problem with our community used to be that they were reluctant to positive change. We have been living here for years, in pathetic conditions. Initially, they even suspected my intentions when I began pushing for change,” recalls Lobi
Her latest initiative has been to market branded vermicompost made by the Siddis. The brand, ‘Panchtatva Brand Sendriya Khatar Powder’ will be sold through a through a Siddi women co-operative society. The manufacture is the collective manual effort of women, but locally this brand is now giving a tough competition to companies who are into this business. Lobi’s success is significant in that earlier these women used to go around individually to sell the vermicost to farmers and shopkeepers with little say over the market conditions—the women now have nine different marketing agents who look after the sale.
“I used to live off manual labour in the jungle, but now I earn Rs 100 a day,” says Jiluben Modi, one of the 25 women in Lobi’s vermicompost manufacturing group, the Nagarchi Mahila Mandal, now selling vermicompost worth Rs 6-7 lakh a year.
Amulaben Darjada, 65, who has been with Lobi in all her efforts from the beginning says the menfolk stayed away in the early days. “None of them came to help us in the beginning. Only Lobi had the courage to push for change.”
Lobi chose to bank on women as change agents, and this was not easy even as she set off with a women’s co-operative for mobilising monthly savings, with the help of an NGO.
“The community’s men kept discouraging me.” Things were so difficult that even women who were convinced about the saving concept used to give her the savings money undercover. “I used to go to their homes wearing gunny bags to collect the monthly saving installments, so that their male family members would not recognise me,” she says.
The women co-operatives have now also started lending money to the members. Before launching the co-operatives, Lobi had started awareness initiatives among the women, on basic health issues.
Time was when Lobi was hardly taken seriously. “But once our activities began getting noticed, I knew there would be no looking back, particularly after the co-operatives picked up.”
The men now too have begun to appreciate the efforts. Bachu Makwana, a fellow villager says, “Due to her efforts, a lot of women have now started getting employment. Following her co-operative movement, now even men have started showing interest in them.”
After Lobi helped put up a community school, the Siddis now have a bigger dream—a college in their village. And like all Siddi dreams, this too revolves around this doughty little woman who walks with them.
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