Bihar Rural Livelihoods Project

The organisation mobilizes marginalized groups, focusing on vulnerable sections, into self-managed institutions like self-help groups (SHGs) with community and stakeholder support. Federations at various levels sustain collective efforts and enhance access to public services. Existing federations are integrated while maintaining autonomy and good governance.

Producer groups prioritize livelihood development, handling input procurement, processing, marketing, and sales. Community professionals manage CBO activities, emphasizing equity, accountability, and local knowledge for effective community development.

The organisation's Micro Finance Initiatives aim to empower 44,100 self-help groups (SHGs) of poor households to manage a microfinance portfolio worth Rs. 285.47 crores ($68 million). This includes group savings, interest accrual, loans from commercial banks, and a community investment fund. The broader goal is to build trust in banking with the poor, empower them to run financial institutions effectively and facilitate financial support from various sources. The objectives also include creating assets, improving incomes for community-based organizations, and promoting transparency through proper accounting systems.

The organisation's livelihood initiative aims to create employment opportunities for the poor by enhancing productivity in key sectors. It conducted a study in selected districts to identify suitable livelihood sectors and necessary interventions. The study revealed that a majority of the rural poor rely on agriculture and face challenges accessing credit for food security, leading to indebtedness. To address this, the project plans to universalize food security and improve paddy productivity. Cattle rearing is another common livelihood, and the project intends to integrate SHG and VO members into successful institutional models. The project also identified various livelihood activities in the districts based on factors like the number of poor communities involved and the presence of experienced service providers. These activities will be adopted to uplift the rural poor's livelihoods.

The organisation's vision is to empower rural youth and make them economically independent and globally relevant. They are part of the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY), which falls under the National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM). DDU-GKY focuses on rural youth aged 15 to 35 from poor families and supports government initiatives like Skill India, Make in India, Digital India, Smart Cities, and Start-Up India.

In Bihar, SRLM (JEEVIKA) serves as the nodal agency for DDU-GKY implementation. Key features of DDU-GKY include an outcome-oriented approach with a focus on placement and certification, ensuring that the poor and marginalized can benefit, demand-driven training programs aligned with market demand, post-placement support, and adherence to quality standards. The programme also has a special focus on socially disadvantaged groups, including SC/ST, minorities, and women.

The organisation focuses on building community institutions and capacities through structured learning. This includes creating a resource person roster and designing training modules based on a community operations manual. Workshops introduce the project's approach, and training covers topics like SHGs, microfinance, conflict resolution, and social issues. Specialized training is provided to staff and PRI members. Collaboration with PRIs aims to improve access to social protection programmes, especially for women. Effective communication between SHG members and PRI officials regarding citizen rights is promoted, enhancing community institutions and inclusivity in social protection programmes.