Life Stories

IT DOESN'T MATTER WHO YOU ARE, OR WHERE YOU CAME FROM. THE ABILITY TO TRIUMPH BEGINS WITH YOU

I, Annapoorna Satish, Ward No.6, Subramanya Nagar, Arsikere, Hassan District joined as a member of the ARUNA WOMEN’S SELF HELP GROUP which was facilitated by Chikmagalur Multipurpose Social Service Society (CMSSS) in 1998. Being a dynamic member of the Self Help Group (SHG) and my involvement in all SHG activities, the field staff of CMSSS recommended that the organization appoint me as an Animator as there was a vacancy. I was selected and appointed as one of the field animator in 1998. The innumerable trainings conducted by CMSSS helped me to develop myself. During the staff appraisal, assessing my capabilities, the Director promoted me as a Coordinator for Women Empowerment Programme in Arsikere Taluk of Hassan District, Karnataka.

A lot of trainings were imparted to the field staff on issues like Social Analysis of Society, Women’s Rights, Human Rights, Gender Mainstreaming, Panchayatraj Institutions, Network, Lobby & Advocacy to tap Government Schemes, Leadership / Personality Development, Documentation, Skill Training which were organized by Karnataka Regional Organization for Social Service (KROSS), Bangalore made me to introspect and reflect on why and the need of so many trainings and that was the period which changed my life as I was one of the participants of many capacity building programmes.

I started imparting these trainings to 2215 women of the Self Help Groups in my working area, explaining to them the need for Rights Based Approach to get their legitimate entitlements, tapping Government Schemes & Benefits and started motivating them to contest for Panchayat elections. In this process I was able to identify 45 self help group members who would be good leaders and put in extra effort to enhance their learning of Panchayatraj Institution Rules & Acts and make them aware of their roles and responsibilities. Due to these trainings given by me, these 45 women contested Panchayat elections and 12 women got elected. Today 3 of them have become Presidents of Panchayaths and are working for the people.

As I got involved more and more with the women’s groups, Community Based Organizations, Youth Groups, etc. the people of our ward wanted me to contest the Municipal elections held in March 2013 and assured that they would see that I was elected and I actually got elected in our ward with 174 votes. Now that I am a Councilor, I have been able to get good road in our area, 3 bore wells for drinking water supply, construction of drainage in the ward, scholarship of Rs.3,000.00 each for 134 Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe and 84 other backward communities children (a total of INR 654,000.00) and under 3% reserved money for the disabled, a monthly pension of INR 500 each to 13 disabled, wheelchairs to 3 disabled and 1 three-wheeled scooter for one disabled person.

This was all possible because of the encouragement and trainings I got from CMSSS and KROSS for which I am grateful to them.