Description:
Problem:
The
members of housewives group orginally make
handicrafts product for sell in local market.
However, the market for their handicraft
was very limited. Though they have a large
workforce, but each women’s share
of profit per product was very little.
Though
there are some orders to sew uniforms and
T-shirt, it was not cost-effective to make
this the main activity for the housewife
group. One reason was the housewives at
Mae Moh lack tailor-expertise. Another reason
was the group cannot afford to buy industrial-quality
sewing machines. Also, the orders for uniforms
did not come on regular basis.
Objective:
Promote
household industry for women in Mae Moh
district and
reduce unemployment problem of poor, under-privilege,
under-educated women.
Target
group:
Women
groups in Mae Moh District. These groups
are also refered to collectively as “Housewives
group” at Mae Moh district. The group
is actually a network of women promotion
groups and farmers’ housewives groups
located in 5 subdistricts (32 villages).
The group consists of approximately 10,000
members.
The
managing committee of the group consist
of 13 representatives from different villages.
New committee members are elected every
two years. The contact point of the group
is at the house of the group’s secretary.
The telephone number is 66-54-255-654. The
mobile phone number is 01-473-3979.
Approaches:
Identify
products in demand in the local market,
instead of trying to make handicraft products
that has very limited market. Use the current
skill that the women already have to make
these products. In this case, the largest
consumer in Mae Moh district is Electric
Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT).
The products that hundred of workers at
EGAT use and throw away frequently are the
dust masks. They also need hats that protect
their hair from the dust. So the idea is
to have these housewives use their handicraft-making
skill to make dust masks and dust hats instead.
Also,
in order to make it possible for the women
to sustain themselves in the future, they
need to save money and have easy access
to credit. A saving group is formed to encourage
these women to save money and have access
to credit at 1% interest rate.
Ms.
Phanida continues to help identify more
products for local market as well as help
the women to acquire new skills and expand
into other areas. These new skill includes
things such as accounting skill and computer
skill.
Activities:
(1) Identify local
market and the suitable product
Ms.
Pharnit, a BPWT-Lampang member, advises
Ms. Panida to encourage housewives in Mae
Moh District to make dust masks for EGAT
instead of rely only on handicrafts that
have very limited market.
(2) Obtain money for initial working
capital.
In 1997, Ms. Panida Taksinapimuk, a YCW
of BPWT-Lampang, as well as the head of
Mae Moh housewife group, helped the group
take a loan of 150,000 baht from Social
Investment Fund (SIF) available at “Aomsin”
bank (Government’s Saving Bank). This
money became the group’s working capital.
The group paid back every 3 months, at 10,830
bahts per payment (total of 16 payment).
As of 10 January 1999, the group had made
8 payments and have 8 more to go.
(3) Make dust masks for EGAT
Ms. Panida helped the housewives learn how
to make dust masks out of “Saloo”
fabric. She also coordinates with Ms. Pharnit
to encourage EGAT to order dust masks from
the housewives group on a regular basis.
She also helped purchase to fabric for these
women.
The housewives group receives an order of
almost 14,000 order of dust masks per month.
Each women takes approximately 100 orders
per month. Due to the size of the order,
only 137 women can participate. Each month,
the housewives came from their villages
(usually 10-30 kilometers away from the
central part of Mae Moh districts) to deliver
the dust masks, get paid, take the new order
and the fabric back to their village.
(4) Form saving group called “Mae
Moh’s housewives bank”
On 23 January 1998, Ms. Phanida chaired
a meeting with the women at Mae Moh Kindergarten
school to form the saving group. This saving
group is named “Mae Moh’s housewives
bank” in order to make the women felt
that the bank belongs to them. To join this
saving group, each member of the saving
group has to buy at least 5 shares at 10
bahts per share, but should not exceed 100
shares (1,000 baht). Initially, 238 women
joined the saving group. The money in this
saving group is deposit into a saving account
to earn interest. No more than 20,000 baht
are held as cash. Ms. Phanida is currently
the chairperson of the committee to manage
this saving group.
(5) Encourage women to save money.
Ms. Phanida persuaded the women who make
dust masks for EGAT to save approximately
10% of their monthly income in this saving
group.
(6) Manage cash flow for making products
for EGAT
As EGAT paid the group after the product
is delivered, occasionally there is a cash
flow problem as the women group has to pay
for raw material ahead of time. In this
circumstance, Ms. Phanida suggested that
the group can take a loan from this saving
at the interest rate of 1%. Such loan is
usually paid back with 1-2 months.
(7) Expand the market
Ms. Phanida conducts monthly meeting of
housewives group by rotating the location
for the meeting among the five subdistricts
in Mae Moh. During each monthly meeting,
the housewives are encourage to bring their
products for sale to other villagers.
(8) Train the managing committee of Mae
Moh housewives group to improve management
skill
To improve the management skill, the member
of managing committee of Mae Moh housewives
group attend courses such as basic accounting
and computer training.
(9) Offer professional training courses
for housewives in Mae Moh
As the group does not have their own building,
they ask for permission from “Sarapat
Chang” college to use their facilities.
Attendee have to pay registration fee to
cover the payment to the college to cover
utility cost.
(10) Distribute work and promote household
industry further
Ms.
Phanida helped coordinate with others to
accept the order from various organization.
She and the committee then distributed the
work (subcontract) to various villages.
Examples of these orders include order of
T-shirts, blankets, baskets, etc. The profit
after deducting the production and transportaion
cost are deposit into the saving group “Mae
Moh Housewife bank”. At the end of
the year, these money are given back to
all villages that participate in the activities
of Mae Moh housewives group.
Results:
| By
21 March 1999, 636 women were received
helps that enable them to help themselves.
|
|
The
total of 137 women received help by
making products such as dust masks and
hats for EGAT Each women get an additional
income of 250 bahts per month (about
2.50 bahts per dust mask). |
| |
|
50
women from Nasak subdistrict |
| |
|
(from
7 villages: Mah Jan, Pang Pung, Wang
Nam Tong, Nasak, Ban Mai, Sop Jang,
Mah Lung) |
| |
|
13
women from Jan Neu subdistrict |
| |
|
(from
3 villages: Ko ruk, Wang tom, SumKon) |
| |
|
23
women from SopPad subdistrict |
| |
|
(from
2 villages: SopPad, SopTen) |
| |
|
24
women from Ban Dong subdistrict |
| |
|
(from
3 villages: Hoa Find, Ban Dong, Ta see,
Suan Pah mom) |
| |
|
27
women from Mah Moh subdistrict |
| |
|
(from
4 villages: Moh Lung, Haew King, Pong
Chai, Haew Ped) |
|
As
of 10 January 1999, the number of women
in the saving group “Mae Moh housewives
bank” rose from 238 women to 543.
By 21 March 1999, the number of women
rose to 636. |
|
The
total 47 women gain access to credit
through Mae Moh housewives bank.
| Access
to credits for women through Mae
Moh Housewives bank |
as
of 10 January 1999 |
| Number
of members |
543
women |
| Number of
members who take out loans |
47 women
(8.66%) |
| Number of
members who did not owe the bank
|
496 women
(91.34%) |
| Loans Amount |
187,450
baht |
| Paid back
during 1998 |
77,300 baht |
| Total amount
of outstanding loans |
110,150
baht |
|
|
As
of 10 January 1999, the balance of the
saving group “Mae Moh housewives
bank” is 220,948 baht. The outstanding
debt with Aomsin Bank is 89,496 baht |
|
This
balance of the saving group "Mae
Moh housewives bank" are as follows.
| Date |
Balance |
| 10
January 1999 |
220,948 baht |
| 20 April
1999 |
399,827
baht |
| 20 May 1999 |
444,109
baht |
|
Project Team
During 1998 - 2000
the project team
include:
Mrs. Angoon Chodiganan
(President)
Project Advisors:
Miss Pharnit Tantasetti
Mrs. Angoon Chodiganan
Young BPW participation:
Ms. Panida Taksinapimuk
YCW in BPWT-Lumpang
Evidence:
Photographs of the activities carried out
by housewife groups at Mae Moh district.
Other evidences (mostly in Thai) are available
upon request.
Contact:
Mrs. Angoon Chodiganan
(President)
Tel: (66-054)-222-858-9 Fax: (66-054) 222-801
Head of Project: Ms.
Panida Taksinapimuk
48/1 Moo 4 Tambol Nasak,
Amphoe Mae Moh, Lampang
Mobile: (01)-4733979 Fax: (054) 255-654
Last update: year 2000
|
