Self-Help Group Approach

The Self-Help Group approach promotes the enjoyment of human rights for all vulnerable and marginalised people. We invest in social capital and human capabilities to enable everyone to participate in decision-making at the household, community and macro level and to lift themselves out of poverty.

Two basic Principles

  1. Every human being has a potential that the poor cannot unleash in their living environment.
  2. As individuals the poor are voiceless, powerless and vulnerable. By bringing them together in SHGs they gain the strength to claim their rights.

We focus on the poorest women and their children and then broaden the impact on the entire families and the communities. Marginalized women and children are no longer viewed as passive subject or victim, but as holders of rights which are claimable from the government.

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Social, Economic and Political Empowerment

The empowerment process increases self-confidence, develops self-reliance and helps people unleash their potential. The Self-Help Group approach is constructed on the basis of three solid pillars:

  1. Social empowerment focusses on individual and community level problem solving. The SHG discuss problems in their private or community lives and develop joint solutions.
  2. Economic empowerment focusses on saving an agreed amount of money among the SHGs to give loans to the members to improve their economic situation.
  3. Political empowerment focusses on issues in the neighbourhood and work together towards a solution.
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