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THE “PROMISING PRACTICES” CASE STUDY SERIES:

PROGRAMS, PRODUCTS AND SERVICES SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED TO REACH VERY POOR PEOPLE

LEARNING CONVERSATIONS

Many of us learn through stories—in fact, some of our best learning moments stay long in our
memories because we experienced them through a story shared by a friend, a teacher or a favorite
relative. These stories provoked our thinking. They were relevant to our lives. Through them, we saw
the world differently. Some of us may have even changed our actions because of a few good stories.

Learning Conversations are stories. They are short parables with many right answers. Learning
Conversations are enjoyable to facilitate. They prompt discussion and inspire action, opening new
vistas for villagers to help themselves.

Learning Conversations are simple, 30-minute group discussions.1 A trained facilitator uses a 2- to 3-
page Learning Conversation Guide to introduce thought-provoking ideas to a group on a specific topic
relevant to the lives of its members. The Learning Conversation Guides contain a brief story or
activity about a problem to solve. The group hears the problem and discusses possible solutions. The
group then discusses how to apply the solutions to similar problems faced by their own members. At
the end of the discussion, the members are encouraged to make a commitment to action.
However, more than addressing any one specific issue, Learning Conversations present the group a
problem-solving process that allows them to explore any issue they choose to address. The process of
identifying a problem or issue of concern, reflecting on its causes and consequences, considering
possible solutions and motivating to action, can be applied to whatever question is brought to or raised
by the group. Members own the process and, thus, employ it to address evolving needs and concerns
specific to their local context and experience. Because of the Learning Conversation methodology’s
simplicity, flexibility, and replicability, it is an excellent tool for institutions seeking to support their
clients in behavior change.

Learning Conversations offer a number of benefits to organizations that use them:


 They represent a multipurpose tool that is easily disseminated at low cost.
 The process used to facilitate activities and discussions with groups is relevant to a variety of
settings.
 They can be used with any group that comes together on a regular basis for a specific purpose.
 They can be used to help organizations reach poor clients to which they normally might not have
access.
 They build the confidence levels of the women that participate in them and help them become
better consumers of financial and non-financial services.

This case study will further present how Learning Conversations were developed and disseminated
with Freedom from Hunger’s partner—Catholic Relief Services India—and the potential they hold for
Self-Help Groups not only in India, but worldwide.
1
Freedom from Hunger and CRS India applied years of experience in adult education, group-based learning, and credit and savings
systems to develop simple tools that would help local organizations foster self-help among the SHGs.
I. CONTEXT

It could be said that the goal for development is simple: “Villagers solve their own problems,
exercise their rights and attract financial and social resources. Peace, justice and economic
development follow. Barring this are divisions among castes and tribes, limited information on
rights and resources, and a wholesale lack of self-confidence on the part of women.” Yet,
throughout many developing countries there is organic development occurring at the grassroots
level that is catalyzing people to remove these barriers to change. Self-Help Groups (hereafter:
SHGs) represent one of the most important phenomena to surface in decades, given their scale as
a platform for poor people’s development.

A. SOCIOECONOMIC OVERVIEW

SHGs are self-formed groups of between 15 and 20 individuals, usually women, who come
together for a shared purpose. Most commonly, SHGs form to pool small sums of money and, in
turn, lend these savings to group members. The women normally live in rural areas, are
illiterate, and have very little formal education.

According to the latest Demographic and Health Survey (1998–1999), approximately 73 percent
of Indian women live in rural locations. 58 percent of them are illiterate, and only 14 percent of
them have completed high school. Only 51 percent of women are involved in decisions about
their own health. Almost 60 percent have control over some money. The percentage of the
population living below the poverty line is 36 percent.2

In the state of Uttar Pradesh alone, where the number of SHGs is flourishing, almost 80 percent
of the households are rural. Uttar Pradesh is the largest populated state in India, contributing to
almost 17 percent of the national population. 75 percent of the workforce works in agriculture
and agricultural activities. Rural poverty is approximately 47 percent. One percent are
extremely poor, 12 percent are very poor, and 18 percent are moderately poor. Forty million
rural people live below the poverty line.3

Despite the socioeconomic challenges faced by many SHG members, some SHGs have matured
into independent, strong, self-managed groups capable of accessing rural or cooperative bank
services and starting new SHGs in their communities. They have helped women succeed in local
elections and attract resources to their communities. Many have tackled social problems in their
villages, such as dowry abuse, rape, and alcoholism.

B. PURPOSE OF INTERVENTION

Support organizations, including non-governmental organizations, community-based


organizations, and local governmental bodies, now recognize the enormous potential SHGs
2
“India: National Family Health Survey, 1998-99.” October 2000 International Institute for Population Sciences
and ORC MACRO.
3
“Development Uttar Pradesh 2005: A Conclave on Investment in Social Development Sector.”
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represent in the development of a community. These organizations devote significant efforts to


forming groups and building their capacities. Catholic Relief Services (hereafter: CRS) alone
estimated in September 2004 that its network of 2,500 partners across India is working with
approximately 30,700 SHGs, which represent at a minimum 430,000 members. In addition,
government support to SHGs over the past decade has emphasized progressive outreach to vast
numbers of poor, rural women across India. The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural
Development (hereafter: NABARD)4 has a mandate to support SHG members and link them to
rural banks and appropriate financial services.

Though much can be said of the spontaneous development of SHGs and their abilities to self-
manage and reach out to other poor women and build new SHGs, a variety of limitations exist
for the SHG support organizations, the animators, and SHG members:

1. Many SHG support organizations can lack internal capacity or appropriate resources to
effectively and efficiently support their SHGs. Many SHG support organizations are located in
remote, hard-to-reach areas. However, the tools and training available for SHGs in India are
often calibrated to classroom-educated, rural development workers. Consequently, organizations
are unable to hire trained field staff to work with SHGs. Yet, even qualified field staff face
resource deficits as these formal tools and methods are often complex and less effective and
efficient in the SHG context.

Because of this reality, CRS also wanted to build the capacity of the SHGs, irrespective of the
leaders and support organizations, to enable them to support themselves and help build other
SHGs (thus, enabling a “ripple effect”).

2. Animators lack resources and training to be effective service delivery mechanisms. Because
field staff may not be adequately prepared to work with SHGs, they can often be an obstacle to
SHG success. In assessments conducted by CRS, they discovered that some animators have
been gatekeepers of information and that they micromanage their SHG groups’ activities. Much
of this can be explained by the SHG’s over-reliance on the animator, but the animator may not
have been providing the SHG with opportunities for growth and gaining confidence.

3. SHG members often become over-reliant on the SHG support organization or the animators
that support their groups. Consequently, the underlying rationale for SHG— learning to think
and act for oneself—is challenged. Additionally, well-meaning animators who have a lot of
community trust can often put their groups at financial risk by identifying incorrect business
opportunities for their SHGs. As one animator put it, “the animator is king” because of his/her
knowledge and skill base compared to that of the SHG members. For example, some animators
have been able to convince SHG groups to commit all of their efforts and resources in one
product, and when that product fails, the SHG is left with failure and debt. Finally, because
animators feel the need to micromanage their groups or feel the need to be deeply involved in
SHG activities, they exhaust their time with few SHGs, limiting their breadth of outreach to
other possible SHGs. In turn, the SHG support organizations also find themselves playing a
much larger role in the development of a group than originally anticipated. As a result, the cost
4
NABARD, while an apex financial institution, is part of the Indian Government. It coordinates the development of
SHG-bank linkages with state-owned rural and cooperative banks across the country.
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per beneficiary increases as animators are unable to support increasing numbers of SHGs. SHG
animators and support organizations are unable to reach out to un-served or under-served SHGs
because they are spending so much time and resources on a few SHGs.

In conclusion, because SHG support organizations lack the capacity to fully support the work of
their animators, animators are unable to facilitate the growth of self-reliant SHGs. Consequently,
some SHGs are left underserved, and some communities of poor women are left un-served. This
chain of causality is demonstrated below in Figure 1.

Figure 1. Un/Underserved SHGs and Communities

Low capacity,
resource-constrained Financial/social
support organizations risks to SHG
Un-
members
served/und
Increased cost-per- Ill-equipped er-served
beneficiary for the animators SHGs and
support organization Over- communitie
reliance on Weak SHGs s
Animators animator
exhausting
efforts with few
SHGs

SHG support
organization The SHG

The absence of sensible methods and capacity for SHG support prompted Catholic Relief
Services to approach Freedom from Hunger to help design SHG-appropriate tools and
methodologies. Freedom from Hunger was a good candidate given its strong experience in adult
education, group-based learning, credit and savings systems, and emphasis in serving the very
poor. Together they worked with key Indian field partners in very remote tribal areas to develop
simple tools that would help partner staff interact and build the capacities of SHGs in the local
area. The goal was to help develop SHGs that were self-reliant, who could help build new SHGs
and expand CRS’s reach to un-served, poor communities. Months of development resulted in a
series of model Learning Conversations that respond to the relevant needs of SHG members.
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II. DESCRIPTION OF METHODOLOGY

A. SUMMARY OF DESIGN CONCEPTS


During the design phase of the Learning Conversations, there were three levels of criteria used to
gauge whether the Learning Conversations were an appropriate SHG-level tool. At the SHG-
member level, the conversations had to be engaging, be relevant to members’ daily lives, be
motivational so that members would take action, create positive change in the members’ lives,
and inspire and empower the members to share lessons with others outside of their group. For
the animator, it had to be a fun tool to use and they needed to feel confident in its use. For CRS,
the LCs had to be a tool that would build the capacity of their partner organizations, be low-cost,
situation-specific, culturally appropriate, and have mass replicability.

Engaging the SHG Member

Learning Conversations are based on Adult Learning Principles


The “science” behind the Learning Conversations is based on adult learning principles. Adults
learn best when they are actively involved in the learning process and when the topics are
relevant to their situations; in other words, when there is real-world
application. Topics of discussion must fill an immediate need, so that “United we can fight
motivation for learning and for taking action is highest. They must against anything. If
we unite in savings,
be able to experiment with new ideas in a safe environment to think we can help any
as a group and relate those ideas to their own past. And, importantly, member who is in a
they require a time of reflection to absorb how new concepts fit into miserable condition.”
their world. Thus, for Learning Conversations, the animator simply Response of an SHG
member after a
becomes a facilitator in the learning and decision-making processes. Learning Conversation
He or she helps create and nurture an environment in which SHG on “The Self-Reliant
members can brainstorm ideas and reflect on their experiences. The Self-Help Group.”
animator can also work with SHG leaders to lead LCs themselves. After testing an LC, CRS and
Freedom from Hunger asked for volunteers from the group to facilitate a discussion. After a 20-
minute coaching session, the SHG member was able to lead the group through an effective LC.

Learning Conversations Allow SHG Members to Dream of a Possible Future


Creating and facilitating this type of environment for SHG members is not difficult, but it is key
to the success of the Learning Conversations—and equally, Learning Conversations are a key to
creating this environment. Learning Conversations, as has been explained, propose two stories.
One story reflects a current reality (which is normally a negative story) and the other a possible
reality (a positive story). The negative story often offers the learning opportunity. Using open
questions, the animator or SHG leader has the group reflect on the two stories in small groups.
(By inviting members to form small groups of 2 or 3 people, the animator helps create safety and
allows shy or soft-spoken people the opportunity to express their thoughts in comfort.
Additionally, having members shift groups and mix up is an energizer by itself for quiet groups.)
They are asked, “How do these stories relate to you?” “What can you do?” and “How do you
plan to use the ideas proposed by the group?” By the end of the discussion, the SHG members
are encouraged to commit to some action in response to the issues raised in the stories. And
there are many stories and case studies that reflect the power of this methodology: SHG
members have found solutions to avoiding moneylenders; they have encouraged mothers to get
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their children vaccinated for polio; women have protected each other from domestic abuse; and
the stories go on.

Learning Conversations Help Make SHG Members Better Consumers of Microfinance and
Other Services. Initially, SHGs may save money within their own groups, but when groups
become more self-reliant they can be linked to other types of financial services. LCs help
address how microfinance and other services (such as health) can serve them and help build their
confidence in exploring these other types of services. There are specific LCs on how to avoid
the moneylender, how to build savings within a group, how to build a business, and how to link
with banks and financial services. These LCs are not simply “how-to” manuals, they are stories
about challenges other groups faced and overcame, particularly through solidarity, persistence,
and confidence. For those clients who have been marginalized because of their caste, poverty
level, or gender, the Learning Conversations provide them with the opportunity to learn how to
engage with society at different levels, seek out and demand needed services, and improve their
quality of life.

Opportunities for Animators

Animators (or field agents) are the last leg of development for CRS and its partners. They
deliver services and act as a conduit among the SHG members, banks, health clinics, and SHG
support organizations. Although they often have roles that are well-defined by their
organizations, they are challenged with supplementary “responsibilities” that are often defined
by the community and the members of the SHGs. At times they are called upon to counsel
women suffering from domestic abuse or facing family turmoil. They are counselors for women
who are either infected or affected by HIV/AIDS or other sexually transmitted diseases.
Therefore, the scope of their work is expanded by the needs of the SHG that go far beyond
helping a group save money, make loans or establish bank linkages.

In response, Learning Conversations were designed to give animators the following:


• An appropriate SHG tool. Learning Conversations take animators out of the perceived
“omnipotent” roles so that members are less likely to challenge them with issues that are
outside their realm of expertise.

• Guidance. Learning Conversations put the power of brainstorming solutions for problems
and decision-making in the hands of the SHG members. Animators are often relieved to
have guidance on how to walk their groups through a problem-solving method so that they
are not depended upon as a continual resource for personal and community issues.

• Leverage. Learning Conversations offer the animator a neutral avenue for addressing
sensitive topics such as HIV/AIDS. During a recent HIV/AIDS and Polio Learning
Conversation Design Workshop in Lucknow, India, one of the CRS partners was working
with SHGs on a purely financial model; however, at the conclusion of the LC training, he felt
that he now had a way to introduce sensitive social issues using the stories and LCs.
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Case Study: Generating Group Income


During an LC training in Kolkata, one CRS partner shared a story about the “Diversify Your
Business” Learning Conversation. She introduced the LC to an SHG group and the women
came to the decision that they would sell momo, a local food that is often sold during holidays
and celebrations. One month later, when she returned to visit the SHG, she couldn’t find any of
the members. She asked around the village and, to her pleasant surprise, the women were
selling the momo at a busy intersection. In the conversation with them, she discovered that
over the past month they had been selling the dish and selling out every time. She had not
expected such a positive response to the story, but the women were so excited about their
discussions on diversifying their businesses that they were eager to make an increase in their
income a reality.—Story told by Kiran, SEVA KENDRA, SILIGURI

Opportunities for SHG support organizations

Since CRS is the first organization to use Learning Conversations, the discussion on SHG
support organizations will be focusing on how CRS has disseminated the Learning
Conversations and on the impacts that are visible with CRS and its partner organizations.

• LCs are a capacity-building tool. CRS has seen LCs as a capacity-building tool for its
partner organizations. LCs have allowed CRS to offer its partners a tool that would
strengthen their SHGs and free up their animators’ time to pursue the development of new
SHGs. These support organizations can now expand their outreach and meet ever-increasing
community needs.

• LCs help SHG support organizations communicate with the really poor in communities to
which they normally might not have access. As SHG members’ levels of self-confidence and
empowerment grow through their abilities to find solutions to their own problems, they are
encouraged to reach out to other poor women in their communities and build new SHGs.
One particular Learning Conversation called “A Village That Includes Everyone” addresses
the importance of inviting everyone to become a part of an SHG, no matter the poverty level.
The story of the Surya SHG tells a tale about some women who wanted to join an SHG but
couldn’t save the minimum amount and stopped going to the meetings. The story of Aditya
SHG portrays a completely different story. It tells a tale about how Muni and Sarita, the
poorest women in Haldipur, wanted to join an SHG but couldn’t save the minimum; the
Aditya SHG helped the two women start an SHG that would save at a lower level and they
taught them how elect officers, decide their savings rate, and hold regular meetings.

• LCs help CRS share SHG-relevant information. Learning Conversations are vehicles for
sharing information with SHGs in a way that speaks to them. They go beyond passive
participation with methods such as health talks, and engage SHG members in important,
relevant discussions about issues that affect their lives.

• LCs are the same, yet different from other methods. Initially, there was some resistance to
Learning Conversations because many CRS and partner staff voiced that LCs were in a sense
something they did already—using storytelling as a technique to share information with the
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SHG members. Why add a similar tool that requires new introductions and trainings?
However, when partners were asked how Learning Conversations were different from what
they already do with SHGs, they agreed that LCs provide an empowering process that
encourages SHG members to seek a solution to a problem together, come to a decision, and
then act on that decision. In addition, animators and SHG leaders are encouraged to follow
up on the commitments made by the group so that there is a level of accountability and
communication of group and individual successes.

• LCs provide a problem-solving process for CRS, too! Interestingly, CRS and its partners see
Learning Conversations not only as a tool for SHGs, but recognize the problem-solving
process as something valuable to their own organizations. Partners and animators have used
them for participatory monitoring of community developments. LCs help groups envision
what something could look like in the future and what the necessary steps are to get there.
They have also used LCs in conjunction with Focus Group Discussions and needs
assessments. The LC methodology helps the animators probe more deeply into issues, and as
stories and discussions progress, they are able to identify topics for new Learning
Conversations and CRS initiatives. Some partners have used them with youth in some of
their schools and consider this an important teaching innovation.

Case Study: Learning Conversations as a tool to build new SHGs.


CRS India has a partner organization in West Bengal called The Social Welfare Institute—
Raiganj. Their operations are located in West Bengal near the border with Bangladesh. The
team currently works with 250 SHGs. They have used Learning Conversations as a way to
build SHGs in communities where no SHG exists. After completing market research in
communities, they have discovered that the communities were only helping each other with the
birth of a child, funerals, weddings and holidays. At no other time would the community
members come together. Once during a village meeting with several community members,
they used a street play incorporating a Learning Conversation to tell the story of villages that
had groups working together on community issues. Using the Learning Conversation
methodology, they asked questions at the conclusion of the play about how their communities
could work together more and asked them to commit to return in a week to talk about creating
and joining SHGs. The Learning Conversation methodology has successfully allowed them to
introduce the benefits of SHGs and build them.

B. PROCESS/STEPS IN IMPLEMENTATION
When the Learning Conversations were conceived, CRS wanted a tool that would support its
partners in capacity building, be economical, and be applicable to and easily shared among its
various partners. Initial groundwork for the Learning Conversations started in October 2002
when Freedom from Hunger and CRS embarked on a joint market research project with SHGs in
the tribal villages in the state of Jharkhand. Through the data and perspectives discovered during
the research, Freedom from Hunger, with help from CRS, drafted the first set of Learning
Conversations and tested them to determine which of the stories resonated most with the SHG
members. Additionally, they assessed whether the Learning Conversation method provided the
SHG members with a productive platform for discussing local issues, identifying solutions and
coming to a collective commitment to pursue one of the solutions. Once the testing of the LCs
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was completed, the most popular LCs were compiled into a field guide known as the “Greatest
Hits.” The “Greatest Hits” comprises 20 LCs on topics such as how to avoid the moneylender,
keeping girls in school, how to build a strong SHG, how to diversify your revenue-making
sources, how to protect your village, how to dream for a better life, etc. Along with the “Greatest
Hits” guide, a Field Guide for Facilitators was produced as a companion resource for training
animators to implement the LCs in the SHG meetings.

Following the testing and production of the Greatest Hits and field guide, trainings for CRS staff
and partner staff in the use of the Learning Conversations began in February 2003. All CRS
India state offices have since been exposed to the methodology and several formal staff and
partner staff trainings have taken place in CRS’s West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh,
Jharkhand and Rajasthan state offices. Several CRS offices have also taken the lead and
initiative in mainstreaming the Learning Conversations in their overall SHG strategies and
beyond.

C. METHOD OF MEASURING RESULTS


The vision statement created by some of the CRS offices and partner organizations—Learning
Conversations are self-managed by SHG leaders. They use participatory problem-solving and
strengthening methods that lead to positive impacts on individuals, SHG members, the
community, and beyond—signals a strategy for monitoring the progress of the Learning
Conversations. Attribution may be a challenge, as many tools, methods and learning
opportunities are used with SHGs. But, it can also be argued that there are several levels that can
be assessed to measure impact or, at the very least, progress.

No specific methodologies to measure progress or impacts have been pursued, yet there are small
tools that many of the partners already use. There are small checklists that partner organizations
can use to assess the performance of their staff facilitators. One partner organization has
expanded this checklist along with its animators so that animators can monitor their own
performance and that of their co-animators. Their animators have acknowledged that this
process has been very helpful and empowering because together they have been able to improve
their delivery of the LCs. The skills learned for facilitating LCs have helped them in other areas
of their work. Several of the partner organizations share case studies with CRS that document
small successes. Training events have also been used to share information among the partners.

As has been highlighted earlier, Technical Learning Conversations are going to require a more
vigorous system of monitoring and evaluation of progress and impacts. The opportunity to
discuss developing a system to do this will occur during the design phase of the HIV/AIDS and
Malaria TLCs in 2005. It is anticipated that mini-surveys using lot quality assurance sampling
will be implemented on a routine basis to measure change in knowledge and behavior.

Lot Quality Assurance Sampling (hereafter: LQAS) was a sampling approach originally
designed by industry 75 years ago. It is now widely used by the health sector as a valuable
management tool. It does not measure impact in the sense of causality, but provides managers
with the data they need to determine whether their programs or activities are reaching a certain,
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expected threshold. Through a random sampling of 19 individuals, a manager can yield


conclusions with sensitivity and specificity greater than 95%.5

LQAS could be a cost-effective way to collect data on the progress of Learning Conversations
because
1) it relies on small samples to provide immediately useful information;
2) data analysis and interpretation are simple (a computer is not required); and
3) action can be focused on problematic areas.

Observation checklists and LQAS are two tools that can be used to assess performance and the
changes in knowledge and behavior. Periodic formal assessments could also be utilized when
specialized data is needed. Yet, any tool proposed will have to ensure that it provides useful data
and helps guide management decisions.

III. RESULTS
A. SCALE
The Self-Help Group movement in India can be considered the largest microfinance program in
the world and much of the movement’s success can be attributed to an enabling environment in
which national banks and governmental programs have fostered their growth and capacities.

Reaching SHGs through NABARD


In February of 1992, the Indian National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development launched
a landmark pilot program called the Self-help Group Bank Linkage program in which it
recognized the poor as potential NABARD clients. Under this program, NABARD made efforts
to help form SHGs that would come together, pool their financial resources, and make interest-
bearing loans within their groups. Once the group gained financial discipline, NABARD would
make bank credit available to the group, thereby enhancing the lending resources for the group.
Furthermore, NABARD started making credit available through NGOs, other bankers and
government agencies that were also working with SHGs.

In 1992, NABARD’s goal was to reach 500 SHGs across India and 1 million SHGs by 2007;
however, the SHG momentum has helped NABARD surpass this goal as of 2004. In 2003 and
2004, NABARD loaned approximately Rs 39.04 billion (US$ 867 million) to 1,079,091 SHGs.6
This indicates that between 15 and 20 million poor households have gained access to the formal
banking system through NABARD’s Bank Linkage program.7 And this number only reflects the
SHGs that have been linked to a bank. There are even more SHGs who are currently only saving
and making loans within their groups and who are meeting for other purposes than simply access
to credit. Support organizations, such as CRS, often spend 6–12 months forming and building
the basic capacities of SHGs before facilitating their linkage to semi-formal or formal financial
service organizations.

CRS and its extensive SHG reach


5
A sample size of 19 is commonly used since only a much larger sample size would provide additional
useful information.
6
Source: http://www.nabard.org/roles/microfinance/index.htm
7
Calculation based on each SHG having between 15 and 20 members.
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Although CRS is only one organization working closely with the development of SHGs, its reach
covers 23 of the 28 states in India and it works through 63 Coordinating Partners and 2,500+
Operating Partners.8 In 2003, CRS was working with a total of 14,500 SHGs comprised of
238,000 women. By November 2004, CRS was serving 30,699 SHGs comprised of 425,000
women. In one year, their numbers have more than doubled and their growth continues as the
“ripple effect”—SHGs starting new SHGs—continues. In 2004, almost 3,000 SHGs had been
started by other SHGs.

CARE’s growth potential into SHG programming


CARE India is an additional partner of Freedom from Hunger with far-reaching impact.
Currently, CARE India’s Credit and Savings for Household Enterprise Project (hereafter:
CASHE), its microfinance program, is being implemented in Andhra Pradesh, Orissa and West
Bengal, and through 25 grassroots partners is reaching approximately 248,000 women, of which
nearly 117,0009 are linked to NABARD, making it one of the largest microfinance organizations
outside of the government in India. CARE India is also expanding its CASHE program into
Madhya Pradesh. During its market research for the state in 2004, it was estimated that there
were approximately 200,000 SHGs, making Madhya Pradesh the second-largest state after
Andhra Pradesh in terms of numbers of groups formed.

CRS, NABARD, and CARE all have extensive networks and reach in India. Their abilities and
capacities to reach large numbers of women and achieve social and financial benefits are
immense; however, it has been recognized by all that you can’t simply count success through the
numbers of SHGs organized, or through the number of women who join. There must be a focus
on the quality of these groups. There must be long-term benefits for the members and they must
have access to information, both financial and social, that help them make decisions about their
livelihoods.

B. IMPACT
Although much of the evidence on the impact of Learning Conversations has been anecdotal, the
impact thus far appears to be real. SHG members are gaining knowledge and this is contributing
to some dramatic changes in many villages: from putting moneylenders out of business to
building sustainable businesses that support the livelihood of a family. It has proven to be a
powerful strategy, as the uptake is quick. It does not require months to see changes. The LCs
lead to actions that are simple and SHG members can make immediate changes, or at the very
least begin working toward a goal. Learning Conversations have given women the opportunity
to discuss with other women issues that affect their lives—in some cases, for the very first time.

The following are descriptions of the various levels of opportunity and impact of the Learning
Conversations:

 CRS partner staff have made repeated requests to have the two LC booklets of the
“Greatest Hits” and the “Field Guide” translated in the local languages of Bengali /Nepali
(for Darjeeling Hills and Sikkim) and Hindi to achieve maximum impact at the grassroots

8
Based on 2003 statistics. CRS’s Coordinating Partners work regionally and help coordinate the activities of the
Operating Partners.
9
Figures based on CARE’s CASHE Midterm Evaluation.
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level. Once the animators and the SHG leaders are through with the Greatest Hits, they
are successfully moving out of the booklet stories and creating their own LC stories in
local languages on alcoholism, dowry, etc. based on community need.
 In the state of Sikkim, under the joint collaboration of CRS/NABARD and the Postal
Department, the postal staff and the postmen are additionally being given exposure to the
LC methodology to improve upon their communication/articulation skills at the rural
community level and function as effective “rural change agents.”
 It has also been found that the SHG members have been leading the Learning
Conversations and spreading the stories and discussion to other SHGs and people in their
communities. Thus, benefits of this engaging dialogue are not limited to women SHG
members, but accrue to the wider community. Through this “ripple effect,” the Learning
Conversations are proving a catalyzing dynamic for community development.
 CRS state offices and partner organizations have identified that the content and problem-
solving process proposed in the Learning Conversations have led to positive changes
among SHG members. For LCs tackling polio vaccinations as an issue, more mothers are
taking their children to polio booths and seeking out other vaccinations. Women have
succeeded in having their husbands stop or reduce their drinking; women are learning
how to prepare for disasters; villagers are enrolling their children in schools and ensuring
the teachers at their children’s schools are showing up.
 Additionally, social capital is created in the groups as they face issues together and
create bonds of trust. They are learning from each other’s experiences. Women who use
the methodology claim an increase in their confidence levels because they can discuss
issues and make appropriate decisions about their lives.

Case Study: Tackling Alcoholism


In Sahapur village in West Bengal, an animator introduced a story about alcoholism to 11
SHGs who had gathered together for the Learning Conversation. By the time the stories were
over and the discussions began, several of the women were crying because they had had
experiences in which their husbands came home after consuming too much alcohol and beat
them. Additionally, their sons had also taken up the habit of drinking too much alcohol. For
many, this was the first time they had openly shared or discussed such personal issues. They
said, “We want to do something about this.” The animator encouraged them to come up with
possible solutions to this crisis. Eventually the women forced the shops to shut down and are
working with local administrators to ensure that the shops are not reopened. Additionally,
some of their husbands patrol the village to ensure that no one is selling alcohol.—Sudeshna
Mukherjee, Program Coordinator, Catholic Relief Services, Kolkata

Through Learning Conversations, many women have learned how to strengthen their SHG and
diversify their businesses. Many are soon going to be learning how to protect themselves against
HIV/AIDS, a disease that affects more than 4 million people in India. Their stories, about how
access to information and choice has changed their lives, have yet to be told.

IV. RESOURCES REQUIRED/COST TO THE INSTITUTION


13

Learning Conversations offer a number of benefits to the organizations that use them. It is a
multipurpose tool that is easily disseminated at a low cost. The process used to facilitate
activities and discussions with SHGs are very relevant to other settings. They can be used with
any group that comes together on a regular basis for a specific purpose. They can be used even
at the organization level as a capacity-building tool. For example, the CRS-Kolkata office
participated in a morale-building workshop with the Learning Conversations being the
underlying theme and the underlying process. Because of the LC methodology’s simplicity,
flexibility and replicability, the potential for their dissemination and utilization is an exciting
possibility.

In terms of costs, the following outlines the approximate line-items and costs for CRS’ programs
in Uttar Pradesh:

Training program at State level (includes: travel, food, $1820


lodging, stationery, hall charges, etc. for 30 participants)

Training program at Partner level (includes: all mentioned $685


above for 30 people)

Training program at field level (includes: travel, food, $350


stationery for 30 participants (non-residential))

Printing costs (includes: 1000 LC booklets) $470


Approximate total for Uttar Pradesh $3325

Case Study: Avoiding the Moneylender


In many villages, taking loans from the moneylender is a private affair and rarely discussed
among villagers until “The Moneylender” Learning Conversation was introduced to the Surya
SHG in Chandwa. As the dialogue began after the introductory stories, 16 SHG members
lamented at their experiences with the moneylender: one woman expressed how three years ago
she took a loan for Rs 5,000 and has since then paid Rs 9,000 on interest alone; another woman
grieved over the loss of her land to a moneylender as a form of repayment. The SHG was more
than a year old and had savings of 13,000 rupees. No woman had ever taken a loan to repay a
moneylender, but the women all agreed that from that point onward, none of their members
should ever have to surrender much-needed capital or personal belongings to pay off a loan from
the moneylender. If a member was contemplating taking a loan from the moneylender, “she
should stop right there and come directly to the SHG to share her dilemma.” The SHG members
made a commitment to help each other in times of financial need and to start saving more as a
group for emergencies, education for their children, etc. There is much anecdotal evidence from
CRS partners that financial strategies generated within the numerous SHGs are putting the
moneylenders out of work. In another SHG in Sahapur, the members shared how the
moneylenders were particularly dangerous. Some members had been physically or verbally
harassed by the moneylender, who also barged into their homes demanding repayment. They
hoped eventually that the moneylender would have to come to them for loans. In this case, what
14

goes around may indeed eventually come around.—Case studies provided by Sarah Smith,
Consultant, Catholic Relief Services, Ranchi

V. CHALLENGES AND PITFALLS/LESSONS LEARNED

Although Learning Conversations have seen many exciting developments, they have also faced
several challenges. During one workshop, a participant argued that the Learning Conversation is
both a science and an art. His observation will be used to demonstrate the challenges that some
CRS partners have faced implementing LCs.

The “science” behind the design of the Learning Conversations can be easily understood because
of the repetition in the use of the same open questions for each story, the use of two different
stories, small-group work, etc. During our assessment of the LCs in October, many
conversations with CRS staff and partners centered around a perceived “prescription” in the
Learning Conversations. Within the two stories that are provided, one story very clearly presents
a picture that has more positive impacts than another. In one story, an SHG member, Neela,10
engages in a behavior that leads to challenges while the other story tells of Gita, an SHG member
who overcomes a challenge and succeeds. Prescriptive? In a way, yes; however, it is not a
prescription in the sense that the group is expected to say, “Let us do exactly what Gita has
done.” The strength of providing two stories with two distinct outcomes is that it provides a
group with options. And those options are what engage SHG members in a discussion about
“what could be.”

Furthermore, it can be said that facilitating a Learning Conversation in a way that engages a self-
help group is an art. An animator must know how to adapt stories and facilitate discussions so
that they will touch people and inspire them to act. SHG members are often self-conscious about
their participation and are not initially willing to get involved. Animators must be prepared to
create an environment that is inviting and safe for participation. They require time to practice
storytelling. They need tips on how to make up their own stories. The stories need to be
localized to be relevant to SHG members. Animators need the skills to develop the capacities of
the SHG leader so that he/she is able to own the LC process and absorb the role that the animator
initially holds.

CRS determined that animators need some training so that they are able to deliver LCs more
effectively. Initially, while LCs were being designed, the goal was to create a methodology that
didn’t require any formal training. It was expected that LCs would simply be put in the hands of
literate animators. However, many of the animators were not necessarily hired to be “LC
animators.” Thus, their qualifications don’t always encompass the skills necessary to be
effective storytellers and facilitators of the LC methodology. Because the LCs are based on adult
learning principles, which are at times new to the animators themselves, they have to learn the art
of asking open questions, of creating a safe environment to pursue sensitive topics, and of being
able to adapt generic stories to a local context. As a part of the skills-building of the animator, it

10
Neela is the character in the “Greatest Hits” Learning Conversation Manual for villagers who generally faces
conflict and challenge due to the behaviors of her SHG. Gita is the character that sees more positive impacts in her
life.
15

is important to understand that s/he should not “rush” through the LC story to arrive at the
“commitment” part. It depends both on the animator’s articulation skills as well as the age/
composition/maturity of the groups. For some SHGs it may take just one group meeting to
arrive at the commitment, whereas for some newly formed tribal SHGs it may take 3–4 group
meetings to arrive at an individual or group commitment. Hence, for LCs, patience is required
so that ultimately the group owns it and decides the course of action.

Consequently, CRS has determined that a minimal level of training is necessary, especially for
those animators who want to be able to create new stories or tackle health issues such as
HIV/AIDS that require a specific knowledge set. Additional requirements and skills for
animators include animator acceptance in the village and the ability to speak and converse in the
local language. Although LCs remain a simple tool, animator preparation is critical for effective
use and for setting the stage for larger initiatives such HIV/AIDS, polio and malaria Learning
Conversations.

Additionally, CRS partners agreed that storytelling is a way of life and thus a comfortable way to
share messages; however, as groups develop and progress, the repeated use of the Learning
Conversation stories, as they are designed now, may become monotonous. CRS is currently in
the process of integrating LCs into other methodologies, such as street theatre, dancing, singing,
and theatre as they are also parts of the culture and a good way to transmit messages.

Finally, as CRS and its partners begin developing what are considered Technical Learning
Conversations (hereafter: TLCs)—LCs that provide specific recommended practices for health,
business, and other topics—there is and will continue to be a greater need for evaluating the
“body of knowledge” people are working from to create a TLC. For example, TLCs on
HIV/AIDS will require consensus on the type of information CRS and its partners want to share
and will require compliance with medical information from the Ministry of Health. In this case,
misinformation could at the extreme cause fatalities or, at the simplest level, confusion and fear.
So, it must be determined who can create TLCs and who can deliver them. Will they require
special skills or qualifications to deliver TLCs? Thus, as Freedom from Hunger and CRS work
together to develop HIV/AIDS, Polio, and Malaria TLCs, all parties will need to be equipped
with the financial and human resources that will be necessary to implement and diligently
monitor and evaluate the TLCs. In any case, CRS and Freedom from Hunger both believe that
the benefits will greatly outweigh the costs when SHG members are empowered with the
information that can improve, and in the case of the TLCs, save their lives and the lives of their
family members.

CONTACT INFORMATION/SOURCES OF INFORMATION


Case study was written by Bobbi Gray and Ellen Vor der Bruegge of Freedom from Hunger and
Clodagh McCumisky of CRS-India.

For additional information, contact:


Ellen Vor der Bruegge 1644 DaVinci Court
Vice President, Program Initiatives Davis, CA 95616
Freedom from Hunger ellenvb@freefromhunger.org

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