Seik
Gyi village is located in the remote and flood effected area of Thabaung
Township in the Ayeyarwady Region. The main livelihood of the people is
agriculture and small gardening activities. Due to flood prone area, only one
time per year crop plantation is available. The big issue happening in this
area is lack of job opportunities for daily wages workers and small farmers
because they have to wait for the time of hiring from big farmers for labor. Irregular job and less income threaten
vulnerable families’ future as well as inadequate food problem and insecure
settlement issues are occurring in raining season yearly. Therefore,
KMSS-Pathein is implementing the DREAM project in those areas with the
partnership of Stromme Foundation in which one of the activities is empowering
collective activities.
Linn
Hlet Kyel Sin Group
1.Ma Khine Lay Wai (24 yrs. Landless)
2.Daw Ngwe Ngwe Khine (34 yrs. 2 acres)
3.Daw Then Then Sink (57 yrs. 4 acres)
4.Daw Khin Shwe (50 yrs. Landless)
5.Daw Aye Aye Lwin (30 yrs. Landless)
According to representative of Lin
Hlet Kyel Sin Group, Ma Khine Lay Wai and 4 members, they had to
approach big farmers for borrowing money with high interest (8% or 10 %) when
they wanted to start up small cultivating activities of farming and seasonal
plantation. Therefore, they couldn’t make much money for their own profit
because borrowing money returned back with high interests. They were usually in
debt cycle even they tried hard. Yearly those situations forced them not to
dream for their future for many years. On the other hands, they could not focus
on not only their future but also their children education because of yearly
debt cycle.
Due to DREAM program, these 5 women gather
together for helping each other. Group income generating activities are
implemented also according to their Group development plan. Consequently small
groups are assessable to have the trainings, so their groups become more solid with
systematic management structure and getting more funding from their group saving
and collective income generation activities. Ma Khine Lay Wai said, “They are
able to save more money against labor cost and high interest rate”, because they
practice exchanging labors and they can easily have money form their group with
3% interest rate (for Group fund). According to Daw Shwe Khin, “because of the
high interest rate, unsuccessful plantation and emergency health problem, she
lived just for worry of returning money back in debt cycle before they become
group. Now she feels secure against high interest rate and debt because she is
not alone anymore.” At the same time Daw Ngwe Ngwe Khine expressed that she
dare to dream for their future because her planned activities for her family
are achieved even she didn’t think for success.
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Group Monthly meeting and discussion |
They all are satisfied with their group’s unity and activities, so they often repeat “our group, our group, our group” when they talk to others. They become to implement any related activities of helping each other as well as community. One of the precious activities for themselves is always keeping for any member at least 50000Ks and continuously increasing as much as they can in hand for the use of any emergency without interest. Besides, they consider the situation of their village during the flood
time. Consequently, they initiative the weekly saving rice system (keeping a hold of rice from the pot every time before they cook) with all existing the groups in the village for the solving of food insecurity issues of vulnerable households in flood time. Each of them is motivated to flourish their families by helping each other as well as for their community with full of energy.