Self Help Group Approach
Unleashing human potential
Self Help Group Approach
Name: Self Help Group Approach in Somaliland
Self Help Group Approach start with the poorest
Acronym: SHG households in the community. Members in an SHG
Main focus Social, Economic, and political development are from the same socio-economic background to
and empowerment and woman and children ensure homogeneity and affinity for proper and
continual functioning of the group. The features of
rights. self Help Groups have been developed to ensure
effective growth and development of the group.
Presence Maroodi-Jeeh, Sahil, & Togdheer region
The functioning of SHG is unique in nature and the
Number of principles’ governing the functioning of SHGs has
to be adhered to. Group members are facilitated to
Staff 83 develop their own rules and regulations for the
Promoting purpose of maintaining discipline in the groups.
Organizations 11 LNGO promotes SHG concept in Somaliland Responsibilities are shared by all members to
ensure participation and capacity building of every
Main partners Kindernothilfe (KHN) member.
For more information, contact us
SHG national coordination office
NAFIS Network, Badacas
Hargeisa – Somaliland
+ 252 63 4473748
+ 252 63 3726938
[email protected][email protected] What is Self Help Group?
Self-Help Group (SHG) is an informal association of poor (weaker sections) in a community
with a common objective of working together for their economic and social development
/empowerment and also for their overall area development. SHG is small (15 to 20 members),
generally homogeneous and members are bound by affinity.
Why SHG Approach?
▪ Mostly in Development marginalized/Poor people are not part of the
existing group and
▪ Focus on poor, marginalized- bringing out the potential of people
(unleashing human potential).
• Build strong communities through social and economic development
and empowerment of the poorest section in the communities.
• Better care and support in education, nutrition, protection in woman
and children.
• Enable the poorest people to claim and realize their rights as human
beings, citizens and as equal participants in civil society
• Cost effective model in phasing out is possible with SHG and
sustainable development is possible.
The Structure
Self Help Groups (SHGs) are formed with the
poorest members of the community. Groups of
15 to 20 members form a SHG.
(the first level of the People’s Institution).
Generally, when there are about 8 to 10 strong
SHGs, the groups come together to form a CLA
(the second level of the People’s Institution). To
do this, two members are carefully selected by
the SHG members from among themselves to
represent their group at the CLA.
When there are about 8 CLAs, they come together to form a Federation (the third level of
the People’s Institution). The rich experience of CLAs in bringing about important changes
in the community, whether infrastructure development, helping improve social service
delivery, and/or reducing structural dependencies motivates them to participate in local
governance ensuring that the principles and features of SHG are recognized and find their
way in local, regional, and national laws and policies.
Objectives of Self Help Group
Social development and Economic development and Political development and
empowerment empowerment empowerment
The key principles of the The key principles of
social dimension of the SHG the economic The key principles of the
Approach are: affinity, trust, dimension of the SHG political dimension of the SHG
Approach are: mutual Approach are: independence
participation and mutual
trust, accountability, and
responsibility. There is a involvement. Self Help Groups
participation and
special focus on individual and creativity. Through take up issues of concern in their
community level problem forming Self Help neighborhood and work
solving. The Self-Help Groups Groups that collectively together towards a solution.
discuss problems in their save agreed amounts of They gain additional support to
private lives or in their money and give loans to work on larger issues by linking
their members to together at the Cluster Level
community and develop
improve their economic Association level. When there
solutions together in their are enough Cluster Level
situation, these
meetings. Gradually, as the principles are Associations, they may make the
number of groups increase, developed both in decision to join together to form
Cluster Level Associations, individuals and the another structure to represent
made up of Self Help Group group. their collective interests - a
representatives. Federation.
Basic principles
The SHG Approach is based on 2 basic principles:
Every human being has tremendous, God-given potential. This hidden potential in the poor
can be unleashed if a conducive environment is provided. The SHG Approach seeks to bring out
this potential and fosters their integration with the rest of the community. The approach seeks to
draw them back from the margins.
As individuals the poor are voiceless, powerless and vulnerable. By bringing them together as a
homogenous collective that is aware of their rights, they gain tremendous strength and can claim
their rights. The SHG Approach focuses on building (or rebuilding) strong and more just
communities by bringing people together and empowering them. Value systems are
systematically restored, redefined and instilled in the community.
Capacity building
Basically, there are two kinds of trainings. There is a set of training
SHG
modules which provide the SHGs with the knowledge and skills they concept
need to function successfully as SHGs. They also include topics which
are important for the development and empowerment of the group
members, like business skills training, conflict resolution, and Cluste Level
assocition
communication skills.
The second kind of trainings are those which the SHGs identify themselves.
Federation
As groups grow and become more active they identify the need for other concept
training topics.
What we do?
What we do?
SHGA empowers people and bring them
unleashing their potentials for solution to
strengthen both in social, economic and political
participation in order to sustainably their lives.
The SHG Approach is based on the understanding
that people are the main actors in bringing about
sustainable development and are the essential
change agents in any given environment.
SHG approach works Maroodi-Jeeh and Togdheer
region in Somaliland.
Benefits of social development Benefits of Economic Development
• It changed attitude of woman and empowers • Enhanced standard of living for very poor
towards believing their potential women as a result of that creates 11,110 new
• It enhanced cohesion, mutual understanding, businesses which increased women’s incomes
solves conflict among women and families • Improve employment opportunities and
• It builds trust and cooperation between income generation opportunity
women • Reduced vulnerability to crisis situations like
• It reduced the clannism and boosted unity in famine, riots, death/accident in the family.
community development
• Improved access to livelihood related services
• It enhanced equal status, participation and
decision-making power at house hold level – credit, market etc.
• It supports 16,000 children access to education • Greater access to financial resources outside
• it enables 5000 children access to health the household.
facilities • Improved access to livelihood related services
• It provides nutrition food 35,000 children – credit, market etc.
• Greater access to financial resources outside
the household.
Main Activities Expected outcome
..........................................................................................................
Education • 65% of children attend school on regular
SHG ensures that all school-age children basis.
are enrolled in and attend school on a • 65% of children both gender have
regular basis through covering the adequate school supplies
provision of school fees & materials.
Social empowerment
…………………………………………
Health
SHG ensures that all participants have • 65% of households including their
access to basic and get adequate children have access to basic health
medical care, hygiene, diseases facilities.
prevention and make awareness raising • 70% of households improve hygiene and
in their communities. sanitation of their communities
.................................................................
Equal status
SHG ensure participation and decision- • 90% of woman household decision
making power at house hold level making power increased
(Having independent opinion on issues, • 90% of woman right to make a choice
right to make choices, broader and goal
directed thinking, feeling and acting)
..............................................................
Empowerment
•
Economic
SHG ensures enhanced standard of 85% household income increased
living women • 90% Participation in household decision
on how money will be spent
.................................................................
•
Empowerment
SHG ensure to improve the ability 60% Increased participation in local
Political
to influence the policies at governance
different levels • 55% people seek direct representation in
structures that serve them
....................................................................
Sustainability and Role Transfer
Sustainability of the SHG Approach refers to both the sustainability of the structures and the sustainability of
the changes that they bring about.
Sustainability of the changes achieved involves,
Sustainability of structures for example:
• Household and community resilience – resilient
involves the institutions eventually
becoming self-sufficient in terms of communities are readily able to anticipate and adapt to change
their structure, their agenda and by through clear decision-making processes, collaboration, and
being able to generate their own management of resources internal and external to the
resources (e.g. through external community.
funding or income-generating • Environmental sustainability – an environmentally sustainable
activities) so that the benefits are system must maintain a stable resource base, avoid
experienced by future generations, overexploitation of renewable resources and preserve
especially their children. biodiversity.
• Structural change – the structural dimensions of poverty are
addressed through the empowerment of poor and marginalized
households.
