Housewives at Watawala Plantations taught cash-flow management
View(s):The Watawala Plantations is implementing a unique programme to empower women through efficiently managing their household budget.
The objective of the household cash-flow management is to position the women as a housewife who understands and practises thrift and knowledge in making ends meet in the household budget.
“Keeping in line with the company’s policy on gender equality, the focus of the women’s empowerment programme is to give an opportunity for the women to get involved in the decision-making process at work as well as at home, which is denied traditionally, and thereby remove the stigma of a woman taking a lesser role in the family hierarchy as well as at home, to emerge as decision makers and leaders,” the plantation company said in a media statement.
Watawala Plantations has implemented this project in four places – Homodola Estate, Talangaha Estate, Nakiyadeniya Oil Palm Estate and Nakiyadeniya Rubber Estate in the Udugama region.
Under the programme, about 5 to 10 individuals get together to form a group and share their thoughts and difficulties amongst the members to find practical solutions. As most of their domestic issues are stemming from financial hardships, a fund is established by the participants by collecting a nominal contribution, monthly from each member, through which they can obtain a soft loan, whenever the need arises without having to borrow from a third party, the company said.
The Women Empowerment programme, first implemented in 2012 sets out common goals, such as, encouraging female involvement in the decision-making process, educating them on identify solutions for their socio economic issues, enabling them face the challenges in an organised manner and develop and identify the leadership qualities in them.
General Manager, Watawala Plantations South Yajith De Silva, who mooted the concept says, the programme has brought about significant results in terms of motivating the female plantation workers to break barrios in the hitherto male dominant plantation sector.
“When the female of the house who plays the role of the wife or mother is not treated with respect, it could have an adverse effect on the overall growth of the family. Through the Women Empowerment Programme, we try to fill that void by creating a platform for them to emerge as leaders. Since this arrangement came into being, we have witnessed a great deal of enthusiasm in them – how they collectively come up with new ideas, tackle their financial problems and have various tasks achieved is remarkable,” he said.
Beneficiaries also receive financial assistance in the form of soft loans to invest in part-time income generating activities such as orchid cultivation programmes, undertaking sweet meats and food preparation orders for kovil functions, dress making or to purchase provisions for the monthly pola. Beneficiaries can obtain grants to buy furniture for household or support children in their education.
Funds collected over the years, have now accumulated into a sum of Rs. 400,000 and the team members use this fund to overcome their financial obstacles.