The organization decided to primarily work with the women from the non-fishing communities who were affected by the tsunami and do not have sustainable sources of income. The women were mobilized into Self Help Groups and thrift and credit activities initiated. This served as a starting point to build capacities of these women around sustainable alternate livelihood activities. Gender focus was the priority in this project. It was based on the concept of empowering widows who had taken up the responsibility of their family.70 women beneficiaries were identified through PRA exercises and relief material including 20 cows and utensils were purchased and handed over to beneficiaries as immediate relief. Seven (7) SHGs were formed with the identified women beneficiaries and group-strengthening exercises were carried out. The groups have been linked to the banks and savings and credit activities initiated. Training was provided to 30 women on livestock management, dairy development and to enhance their marketing skills. The women have started group enterprises and are already repaying the bank loans. There is a positive change in life of 30 women as they have started earning regular fixed income and the women have reported normalcy returning back to their lives during the monthly meetings. Children of these women have started going to schools. The elders in family are being taken care of. NADEP composting is being done. 5 women SHGs consisting of 15members each were formed to institutionalize the process and all the terms between the communities, sustain and replicate the livelihood supporting activities that SWC initiated for the communities. One day training on bookkeeping, accounts and marketing for 70 women was organized. 76 beneficiaries were trained on managing and developing micro enterprises. This training was a consultative process that helped the communities to clarify most of their queries regarding the management of micro enterprises; they were made aware of various techniques to enhance their sales and profits.

The primary activity in the project was to organize and build capacities of the affected women, through Self Help Group formation and to impart training in various fields like group dynamics, book keeping and leadership trainings for the group leaders and animators. Further, trainings were provided on sustainable income generation skills like livestock management, dairy development, vermin composting and sales.

The project by and large involved women from fishing communities. Communities were encouraged to take up professions that suited them most. While certain professions such as fish vending were selected based on the traditional occupational experiences, ideas to tae up professions such as cultivation and sale emerged after the communities had themselves assessed the needs in the project area. The project has brought in synergy between the women and they have all reached a stage where they are able to apply the principles of the project for propagating the benefits to other communities. These women have effectively incorporated the lessons from the project for sustainability planning. They have gained capacities to organize themselves to work in a team, interact with everyone in he village regardless of age and gender to widely promote their enterprise services, approach banks to access financial support, and to speak candidly and directly about issues pertaining to village development.

The project has been working in close relation with the district administration and has mobilized their active support and co-operation in the activities. The administration has provided support in all the trainings and in relief distribution. Discussions are also on with the milk cooperatives to link the women with their marketing schemes.

The women identified four (4) trades that the groups adopted for gainful income generation, through participatory exercises. Group enterprises were initiated around these activities and bank linkages were formed to provide credit to the women for enterprise development. The trades that were adopted were dairy, vermin composting, livestock management and petty trades. Tanks were constructed for NADEP compost training and veterinary check-ups arranged for the livestock. Bank linkages are being provided to these groups so that they may have access to credit for starting their own enterprises. The project ahs linked the practice of sustainable livelihoods by reaching out to those women who were affected by tsunami and had lost their means of earning a living. The project helped these women in becoming entrepreneurs and in restoring their livelihoods. The project demonstrates how micro-enterprises can be used as an effective tool to empower destitute women who have been pushed out of the confines of their homes and forced to take on unaccustomed roles for the sake of securing their families? survival and well being during natural disasters. These micro-enterprises provided substantial income to the communities, with which they are able to save as well as contribute to support non-beneficiaries. PRA exercise for the identifiation of micro enterprises was conducted with the support of Gandhiran Rural Institute, Dindagul. The micro industries identified included: 1. Idli (south Indian delicacy) batter preparation unit. 2. Fish vending 3. Idli preparation unit. 4. Flower vending 5. Tailoring shop 6. Vegetable vending 7. Livestock rearing 8. Small shops 9. Rice selling 10. Soda making unit 11. Readymade garment selling 12. Firewood shop 13. Laundry 14. Sweets and snack preparation 15. Vessel shop 16. Candle making unit 17. Fodder cultivation and selling 18. Mini canteen 19. Teashop. Livestock have been distributed to 25 beneficiaries. The communities who have received livestock are able to sell around 5 litres of milk per day. They gain an income of Rs 60 per day out of which Rs 35 per day is spent on domestic expenses which leaves them with a saving of Rs 60 per month. The soda-making unit manufactures around 290 sodas per day and is able to sell all the 290 sodas in a day. These sodas are sold on cash basis to small shops within the village. The small shops gain an average income of rs 400 per day out of which Rs 40 is spent on domestic expense. They save around Rs 60 per month. The mini canteen is able to gain an income of Rs 9000 to Rs 12,000 per month. They are able to save Rs 3000 per month. The laundry gains an income of Rs 100 per day and savings of Rs 50 per day. While beneficiaries running enterprises such as flower vending, candle making, tailoring unit, fish vending are able to save Rs 50 per month, enterprise such as sweet and snack preparation unit, fodder cultivation and selling, tea shop save Rs 100 to Rs 200 per month. The beneficiaries were able to make regular contribution of Rs 400/month to propagate these benefits to the non-beneficiaries. An initial amount of Rs. 250/- per head was deposited by 76 beneficiaries in their savings bank account. This was a novel experience for the beneficiaries since they were not exposed to bank transactions earlier.