Kalanjiam Grooms individuals into Social Leaders

Mrs.Tamilselvi is a member of Nantheeswarar Kalanjiam from Madurai Vattra Kalanjiam. She is from a poor family. She has four sisters. Her native is Paravai, her father is a labourer in a soap company. She has studied up to 5th standard. Because of her father’s low income, she and her sisters dropped out of school. After dropped out school she joined a company as a daily wage earner. She earns Rs.10 and saves a little bit of amount from her earnings. It helped her to meet her and her sister's marriage expenses.

Meenakshi, 43 Years old is a member of Omsakthi Kalanjiam, Poonthamallinagar cluster of Sellur Vattara Kalanjiam(SVK). My native is AyyanaKulam in Usilampattitaluk of Madurai district. My father is a farmer. I am the third child among five. I have one elder brother, one elder sister, one younger brother and one younger sister.

My father did farming activities and also involved in selling alcohol (Kallukadai) business. After some period, once when the Government banned selling of local alcohol business, my father met huge losses. He has got loans from money lenders while doing his business. Due to loss, he was not able to repay the debts. Money lenders took our land and hence we got migrated from our native village to Nagapattinam.

In Nagapattinam, I worked as a wage labour at fish market. After one year, with the low income, we were not able to sustain and hence, we decided to return back to Madurai. At the age of 12, after coming to Madurai, we got involved in pappad making business. In pappad making business, somehow our family was able to earn a decent income and was able to balance the family needs.

I got married when I was 14 years old. My husband name is Thangamani. At the time of my marriage, my husband was not doing any work. Hence, after my marriage, we came to Madurai. He also supported us in our father’s work (pappad making). Meanwhile, I got three children. One daughter and two sons. I have supported my husband for making dough and making papad and I did packing support.

When life goes as it is Mrs.Annabackiyam, federation leader SVK promoted the Omsakthi Kalanjiam on 2013. We facilitated the formation of the group with 12 members. After four months, 6 members got enrolled. Now we have 20 members in our group. Initially, we started with a savings of Rs.50/, it got increased gradually as 75,100,125,150 now we are saving Rs.200/- per month.

Kalanjiam gave us a Livelihood: After some years, my husband took over my father’s business, but due to huge competition the business margin has come down. So we cannot sustain the loss. Hence, we decided to establish a tea shop. In 2005, with the loan support from Kalanjiam, we established a tea shop.

I got Rs.2000/- as a loan from Kalanjiam to establish the tea shop. From the day one onwards, we both were started working in that tea shop. Within a year, I repaid the loan and we planned to expand the tea shop business with adding a snacks shop. This time I got Rs.10,000/ as loan. Since from morning to evening 4 o’clock, my husband used to take care of our business. After completing my works at home, I used to come at 4 o’ clock to shop and take care of business up to 7 PM. This is our routine. We won’t take any holiday for our shop. Every day, we were able to generate a profit of Rs.500 to 700/- out of our business. Me and my husband both were enrolled in insurance in the group. Our Federation has facilitated get scholarship from insurance through government support for my son and daughter education. My daughter studied up to 12th. My elder son did 10th and my younger son has completed ITI and driving.

Kalanjiam fulfilling the credit needs as life progresses:

• 2006 – Rs. 40000/- for Daughter’s Marriage
• 2008 – Rs. 40000/- for leasing House
• 2010 – Rs. 50,000/- for lease upgradation of house
• 2012 – Rs. 50,000/- for new house lease
• 2014 – Rs. 50,000/- to purchase 5 sovereign of jewels
• 2016 – Rs. 60,000/- towards son’s marriage

In 2006, my daughter got married, I took loan of Rs. 40,000/- from Kalanjiam to meet part of the expenses. I used to repay the loan within 24 months. I am very prompt in my repayment. Earlier, we lived in rental house, after repaying my daughter’s marriage loan, I again got a loan of Rs.40000 from Kalanjiam for leasing house. In the year 2008, we shifted our rental house to leased house worth of Rs.1 lakhs with a loan of Rs. 40,000 and remaining amount from my own savings. In the year 2010, I got loan for Rs.50,000/- for house lease upgradation in the same house. Again 2012, I got Rs.50000 for house leasing. Now we are living Rs.2 lakhs worth of house. In the year 2014, I got Rs.50,000/ as loan from Kalanjiam and I purchased five sovereign jewel. In the year 2016, I got Rs.60,000 for my son’s marriage. Now I am having saving of Rs.21000/-.

During my 13 years of Journey with Kalanjiam, I got nearly Rs.3 lakhs as loan and repaid the loan promptly. Moreover, the loans changed our family’s life progression gradually and we were able to create assets over the period. In the absence of Kalanjiam, this would have been a dream. From my son’s marriage complements from our relatives and neighbours, we have purchased ¾ cent land. After 3 years we have plans to construct a house, which I couldn’t have imagined had I not been in Kalanjiam.

Kalanjiam has given confidence in me to have a financial plan and define my life on my own. Now our group is having Rs.3 lakhs as savings, loan outstanding of over four lakhs every year, we are getting nearly Rs.1500 to 2000 as savings interest in a year for our accumulated savings.

I have facilitated and guided many members to join Kalanjiam. I got selected as a president in our Kalanjiam. I am helping and facilitating many members to get loan, problem-solving etc. Earlier, I was hesitant to come out of my home. After I got selected as a president of the group, I have gained more knowledge about going to bank, meeting officials, negotiating with officials, etc. Recently, I got selected as cluster EC member. Now I am getting transformed into a leader for larger group of people.

If I have any doubt, I used to immediately contact the federation office and I seek clarification. During one of our medical camp, I came to know that, I am having sugar. Now I am taking sugar tablet to control my sugar. I got updated about all our new schemes introduced in our federation, I am ensuring all our groups to get enrolled in the schemes like movement activities like prasadathittam, birthday celebration, pidiarisithittam, Vilakkupooja, and in insurance schemes for members and their spouse, introducing Pension scheme for our members, health insurance, de-addiction programme etc. If members are not willing or hesitate to enroll, I explain to them the importance of the scheme and ensuring that all our members got enrolled. As a whole, Kalanjiam increases my social status and respect in the society.