A permanent home through Self-Help Group support

When we organized women into SHGs under the Arivu Child Centered Community Development Programme, Paskulina eagerly joined. Through consistent weekly savings and access to small loans, she started trading cassava residues. As her confidence and profits grew, she expanded to buying fresh cassava directly from farmers and later diversified into selling beans and silver fish. She continually reinvested her earnings while maintaining her savings.

Beyond trading, Paskulina used loans to support agricultural activities such as land preparation and planting. Together with her husband, she cultivated cassava and tobacco. A successful harvest finally provided the means to begin building their long-awaited permanent home, starting with the foundation and walls.

As her borrowing capacity increased, she further invested in livestock. The growth and sale of goats enabled her to purchase iron sheets for roofing. By 2019, Paskulina and her family moved into their completed permanent house, leaving behind the exhausting annual task of repairing a leaking grass-thatched roof. She proudly reflects that she can now listen to the rain without worrying.

Through the SHG, Paskulina has strengthened her family’s stability, paid school fees, and met essential household needs. Today, she and her husband manage several agricultural activities and a small trading business, ensuring steady income and food security for her children. Grateful for the support, Paskulina remains committed to helping other women achieve similar progress and build brighter futures.

Photo shows an example of a Self-Help Group in Arivu.