What can a family do with ₹6,200 a month? For some families in North Chennai, that is not a theoretical question. For the women we met, Rs. 6,200 has to cover food, school fees, medicines, rent and whatever else the month brings!
And when something unexpected happens? Borrow. Get into a debt spiral.
Where and how do you begin the transformation? You begin small—and together.
So, OSF, with a women’s empowerment expert, conducted two levels of training on 28 May and 5 August 2026. 32 women completed Level 1, learning household budgeting, regular saving, confidence-building and the basics of Self-Help Groups. 18 women wanted to carry on and moved to Level 2, learning how to actually run a group.
Their lived reality tells the story:
- 52% carried the main responsibility for their households, with incomes coming largely from low-paid informal work such as housekeeping, sweeping and street vending.
- 25% were caring for a bedridden spouse or disabled dependent.
- 68% were supporting children or young people in school or college. Medical emergencies and education costs often pushed families into high-interest debt.
As part of the SHG, the women will scale up and learn to maintain savings ledgers and passbooks, record attendance, issue receipts and document loans. The groups will also provide a platform for developing practical livelihood skills, health, hygiene and more.
But the real test comes after the training. Would the groups continue on their own? They did.
The women have now formed their own Self-Help Groups and agreed to meet every week. They save together, maintain their own records and are building a common emergency fund. This gives the members a way to meet urgent medical or educational expenses without immediately turning to moneylenders.
It is a small beginning. A weekly meeting. A little money saved. Regularly.
Women learning to manage it themselves.
But something important is changing. Women who once faced financial shocks alone are beginning to face them together. And that may be the first step from simply surviving each month to building a more secure future.
