Click to play videoPaliganj, Bihar: Dalit women in Bihar are fighting poverty and hunger by setting up their own bank – a bank not dealing in money but grains.
The all-women bank lends grains on interest, and even without interest, to those in real need.
After setting up a bank – probably the only one of its kind – women are on a song. Their bank doesn't deal in money, but foodgrains.
You can open an account with them; you can deposit and withdraw, and even take a loan.
The interest is also charged in grains – 250 grams for every kg borrowed.
The innovative all-women initiative also gives the needy interest-free loans.
The bank right now has more than 1,400 quintal of grains in stock, all contributed by families from their savings.
"Samasya humlog ka wahi hai ki kaamate hai sher bhar taab jake baccho ko khilate hai – aaaj nahi kamane jaayenge to baaal baacha bhukhe raaheega. Anaj bank khulne se sabka kaam ho jata hai. (We poor can feed our children only if we earn daily, otherwise our children will remain hungry. Now, this problem has been solved as we can get foodgrains from the bank)," said Keshri Devi, a bank operator.
The bank is a boon to Devyanti Devi and over 400 Dalit families living in the suburbs of Patna. Devyanti earns 1 kilo of rice after a day's work. But once the harvest season is over, earnings dry out. That's when the bank comes into the picture.
"Zamindar log ananj Dalit samajh kaar nahi dete the, garib samajh kaaar bhaga dete the. Aab issi main se chawal le kaar khilate hai. (Earlier the zamindars didn't give us foodgrains as we are poor Dalits. Now, we can conveniently get foodgrains from these banks)," said Devyanti Devi, a beneficiary.
This innovative grain bank has come as saviour for the poorest of poor, for whom arranging two meals a day had always been a struggle. Now they know whom to bank upon.
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