Study of Knowledge, Skill and Extent of Participation of Self Help Group Members in Managing SHGs and Income Generating Activities

Abstract

120 SHG members from 12 SHGs of Lamphelpat and Wangoi block of Imphal-West district of Manipur were studied. Majority of the respondents were of middle age, married, belonging to general caste, living in nuclear and small family, having low education and residing in „Pucca‟ houses with „service‟ as their primary occupation while SHG is the secondary one, possessing less than 1 acre of land with semi-medium to low level of social participation and extension contact; possessing negligible land and household possession were mostly above Rs. 1, 00,000. Respondent‟s knowledge on guidelines of SHG and record keeping were found to be comparatively higher after joining SHG. Skill competencies were of semi-medium level (83.33%). Extent of participation in income generating and SHG activities were found to be at high level and majority (66.66%) of the respondents were highly empowered by the existing vocation undertaken by the SHGs. Results also revealed that some of the independent variables like, age, social participation, family size, land holding and cosmopoliteness had significant positive correlation with the extent of knowledge, skill competency and extent of participation of members in income generating activities. Family annual income was found to have negatively significant relationship with extent of empowerment