The Women's Co-Op

After our daily breakfast of egg, thick toast, and jam, Mr. Sampson gathered Tim, Kat, and I on a rickshaw and we headed off to visit the women's co-op in nearby villages. Not only is the YMCA here in Ranaghat the girl's home, but it also is involved in some great community outreach programs such as the women's co-op.

The women's co-op is a collective of 14 local village women's groups that work together to produce goods and products for sale at the local markets. Each Village or group has 12 to 20 members whom form their own co-op team. These teams work as individual teams in various areas including: rice cultivation, patty making, poultry farming,and animal products like goat and cow milk and eggs. The profits from the sale of these goods then go back into the co-op to help progress the program and ensure that it is self-sustaining. The women receive pay for their individual group's work and are also allowed to take out loans from the co-ops funds at an extremely low interest rate. In fact, we met one family that had just taken out a loan so that they could start their tailoring business. This consisted of a sewing machine, materials, and a small tailor shop.

Our visit was very lovely, as the villages were very peaceful and the women extremely nice. Their husbands also work in town, but the co-op is something run by the women to help provide for their families. The members needs are being met, and you can see there is a great camaraderie amongst the women and village people. The villages, by the way, are very small and close together. Without realizing it, during a few minute stroll we had traveled through a few different villages.

The YMCA has little role now that this co-op if self-sufficient, but the members are still quite grateful to the Y and welcoming as it maintains an overseeing role. The Y, mainly donated the first rice seeds, chickens, etc. for the formation of the program. Also, their is a small building where a doctor comes on Mondays and Tuesdays to treat the women especially for women health issues such as helping with their pregnancy and pre-natal care. I believe the Y had a role in finding a doctor who would donate thier time for little or no pay.

After our tour we were invited for tea and sweets at one of the homes. In true Indian style, the women here were very generous buying sweets for us and giving us tea when they themselves and thier families have very little money. I definitely have noticed a great generous spirit amongst the people of India to make you feel welcome and to share what little they have. Even the girls at our home are always trying to give Kat, Tim, and I their snacks and breakfast...which of course we politely decline. Thinking of generosity. Namaste.