Vasantham Pengal Sangam has been working with women for their social, economic, educational and cultural development in Manachanallur block of Tiruchirappalli District.

It has been promoting grassroots-based community based organizations enabling children, women and farmers to come together, to discuss together and to address their problems together.

VPS is promoting women Self Help Groups (SHGs) in the villages with all necessary skills to run the women groups. We have conducted need-based training programs like group management for effective functioning of SHGs with democratic principles. These SHGs involve in their routine works like, conducting monthly meetings, savings and credit mobilization, bank linkages, participating in training programs and other rural development programs. During this reporting period, VPS conducted SHG management trainings, Savings and credit trainings, members and animators trainings at Keelapatty, Thillampatti, Solanganallur and Konalai villages respectively. Totally 128 women were participated. The main input in the training was; .

ü Women self help group, formation of producers’ groups, code of conduct of group members, monthly meetings, bank linkages, record maintenance, etc.

ü Roles and responsibilities of group members, conflict resolutions, maintenance of various records, etc.

Mrs. S. Padma, Project Director of VPS, Mrs. Dhinipa, Project Coordinator, VPS trained the group members. The training program helped women leaders to build their capacities on autonomous functioning of groups, build their unity and helped them to access bank finance for their livelihood activities.