Bala Vikasa training to build capacity and sensitize women to prevalent social issues have motivated women to participate in many activities for the betterment of self and family and for the development of their communities.

Improvement of self and families  

Encouraging Adult Literacy

Special syllabus is prepared and teachers are trained to conduct adult literacy classes, at the village level. 70 days of literacy classes are organised during the three summer months for the illiterate women in the villages. Simple literacy test is conducted and certificates are given to the learners.

Encouraging Monthly Savings

Regular savings is one of the first activities all SHG members are introduced to when they join the program. This program is entirely managed by the women leaders. Members’ savings are used for family needs as well as for micro enterprise initiatives.

Facilitating Income Generation

Women have been helped to generate income through 130 types of micro-enterprise programs. The members who have taken up entrepreneurship activities have improved their economic status. Their families have shown marked improvement in their economic condition. 

Development of their communities

Helping form Model Villages

All Coordinators and leaders have jointly discussed and prepared the list of 15 different characteristics required to notify a village as a `Model Village’. Women conduct health camps, clean village roads, discuss solutions for issues such as alcoholism, child labour, girl child marriages, domestic violence, social exclusion of widows, dowry harassment, etc., to enable their village receive recognition as a Model Village.

At village level gatherings in a few villages, (Grama sabhas) which included men, women, children and youth, meetings have been conducted to discuss the concept of a model village. People have been motivated to participate in the improvement of their respective villages through village development activities, with an aim to make their village a Model Village.

Providing Drinking water & Sanitation facilities

In some villages, women leaders have taken the initiative to provide water for their communities through BalaVikasa Water Program or the Government program, by introducing bore wells with hand pumps.  They have also facilitated the provision of potable water through water purification plants. Women leaders have united the villagers, motivated them and even raised the local contribution of 15% of the project cost. After receiving training, women have also taken up the construction of thousands of family toilets, with beneficiaries contributing 25% to 50% of the toilet construction cost. By providing safe drinking water and sanitation facilities, women leaders have helped villagers maintain good health and hygiene.

Solidarity with orphan children

Rural and poor women, realize the sad reality of orphan children in their villages, and respond with empathy, motherly love and care. Bala Vikasa women nurture a spirit of solidarity and social responsibility and together with Bala Vikasa provide for the education of orphans in their community. 1600 orphan children from the villages where Women Development Program is implemented are supported by Bala Vikasa. The women not only attend the solidarity meetings and show their love and concern towards orphan children they also contribute their earnings of one or two days to support the educational needs of these children. 

Reduce child labour

Field coordinators conduct survey of working children in the villages. During the monthly SHG meetings, they discuss the issue of child labour, and a child’s right to education. They encourage mothers to educate their children. Counselling has helped increase the number of children attending schools thereby reducing child labour.  Bala Vikasa’s support towards the education of orphan children is another valuable initiative towards eventual elimination of child labour.

Participating in Jala Dhanam (Serving drinking water to thirsty passers-by)

Women serve water to the needy travelers at bus stops in the hot summer season from April to June. They also place water filled pots at public places and serve water to thousands of thirsty travellers.

Helping the Old & Destitute

Bala Vikasa women have put into practice the human values they have learnt during their training sessions. They have shown human love and concern and helped the aged and the destitute in their villages. They have individually invited aged-destitute persons to their homes and given them good meals and clothes. BalaVikasa also provides monthly food grains to these aged persons