© 2023 Dr Margaret Sheppard

The Janashakthi Bank Societies do not merely promote the economic development of their members and

their families through providing credit and savings facilities to the poor. They do much more than this, they form an integral part in the process of the social development of their membership. It cannot be emphasised enough that it is the membership who run the JBSs. Policy decisions are taken at the grass root level. Non members act only as advisers when they are asked. The social mobilizers and their assistants that are attached to each JBS are only extension workers whose role is as facilitators of social development. Between them they visit the members in their homes, attend S-group meetings, RWDS and JBS meetings and assist the members to initiate development projects, improve their health, nutrition , sanitation and literacy.

These personnel have attended the basic training course and the regular on-going training courses run at district level. In addition they attend regular meetings in Hambantota town where they share ideas and problems with the other mobilizers and their supervisors the zonal mobilizers. At the meetings new ideas are disseminated. They can then discuss these ideas with the local members at the weekly and fortnightly meetings. Their role is to mobilize the latent resources of the local membership and assist them to develop themselves and become self-reliant.

Their task is not to impose projects developed and conceived by outsiders on an unconvinced and unwilling clientele.

In this way many social projects have been initiated by local JBSs. For example several local societies support their own pre-schools for the children of members. The WDF has provided district level training for the pre-school teachers - two members from a local JBS attend a short initial course in Montessori methods, then attend the on-going courses in e.g. craft projects. Between 8 a.m. and 12 noon the children learn the basics of reading and writing, Sinhala, numeracy, classroom discipline and gain confidence in mixing with other children. They also learn Sri Lankan traditional songs and dances. The aim of these pre-schools is to give them a head start when they attend primary school and reduce the former very high drop-out rate of the poor from education that has led to low educational attainment levels amongst the poor families which has further prevented social advancement.

Social Mobilizers assist the local membership lo improve their health. For example they discuss nutrition and sanitation with members - the importance of eating a balanced diet, boiling all  drinking water. keeping clothes and bodies clean and having houses sprayed against malaria. They also discuss family planning and the importance of building toilets and clean wells. (At district level training courses mobilizers  learn about the simple and effective designs for wells and toilets.) They encourage members to have their children immunized at the local clinics and to seek medical advice at their local government clinics when necessary.

Above all they encourage members and their families to co-operate with one another. For example if a mud house falls during heavy rain, members will assist one another to rebuild it. Members help each other during the busy

agricultural times such as planting, weeding and at harvest. Members' husbands often fish together and share out the catch between them. Co-operation within the community is a traditional Sri Lankan value and this is encouraged and emphasized at all levels through the 5-group, RWDS and JBS meetings.

New social programmes based on the JBS are developed (with the assistance of the social mobilizers) as members identify or decide there is a social need they will then go on to initiate one. For example in 1993 a Janashakthi Programme was initiated for helping the elderly. Outside assistance from Help Age Canada was arranged via the WDF. This programme now has a Project Officer and 52 Assistants (one for each bank society) these personnel are responsible for overseeing programmes aimed at the elderly. Members and the Project Assistants identify the needy cases, organize clinics, the provision of spectacles, hearing aids, medicines etc. (These are often the spectacles that have been donated via opticians in Western countries). The elderly in need of cataract operations are identified in this way for the schemes run by e.g. Sightsavers.  Project Assistants identify any special need such as organise social meetings to alleviate loneliness, and or day care, walking sticks, wheelchairs etc.

Social and economic surveys have identified areas in the district suffering from greater poverty. Then with the help of the local social mobilizers,their assistants and the local JBS members, any individual members suffering from particular hardship have been identified to receive extra assistance. For example in this way needy children have been selected to receive help through the Christian Children’s Fund. This is a scheme whereby individuals or families from outside Sri Lanka "adopt a child". They send money every month via the headquarters in Colombo to the “adopted” child - local assistants encourage the family to use this money wisely to develop the environment for the child e.g. to build a toilet, well, or to buy school books or clothes etc. (It should be noted that the “jury was out” amongst the Mobilizers on this type of scheme as unfortunately some of the families involved became “aid dependent” and no longer pursued their micro businesses, just awaiting the monthly pay out to arrive. This dependency on the foreign support was not in the spirit of the Janashakthi Programme as in the long term it was not helping them to break out of the poverty cycle.)

Another scheme that has been organized via the local JBS is the Community Based Rehabilitation of the Disabled. Members have identified households where there is a specific health problem or disability where the individual is not utilizing available health facilities. For example disabilities such as hearing, sight or speech defects, mental disorders, mobility problems, physical deformities etc. These people are then encouraged by health volunteers to visit special locally held clinics where they see a doctor who assesses their health problem, and then encourages them to attend the local hospital or clinic where they will be able to receive the treatment or therapy they require for their condition.

These Health Assistants would for example, identify  people suitable for help from the British charity "Sightsavers", which provides cataract operations, glasses and other eye treatments.

Environmental projects are also run via the organization and structure of the JBS anci RWDS. The meetings are used for introducing ideas so that, they may be discussed and implemented  by the membership. Examples of environmental issues that are being tackled in this way are the importance of preserving the jungle corridor areas for the migration of wild animals, the necessity of preserving the coral reefs, the importance of conserving trees and undertaking re-planting schemes, the pollution of the rivers from new industries etc. These issues are discussed and members' commitment and support gained so that the policies that are implemented to address the various problems may have a greater chance of success.

By December 31st 1993 the Janashakthi Programme had been extended to four divisions of Hambantota District - Suriyawewa, Katuwana,. Tissamaharama, and Hambanlota Divisio ns. There were 52 JBS with a total membership of 29,066. The membership was divided into 368 RWDs and 3.729 5-women groups.

Janashakthi Bank & Social Development

Village Life - circa 1994-5

This was the typical bus services to many of the rural areas. As many of the roads were un-tarred, rugged vehicles were required

Hard working paddy field family. Agricultural loans helped many to buy seed, and other necessities for paddy cultivation

Picking wild berries and fruits

Child wearing amulet containing protective mantra from Edura (healer

Proudly displaying her inherited household brassware

 That will form part of her dowry

Death can not only be devastating emotionally for the family but lead to economic catastrophe placing poor families further and further into debt. Necessary funeral rites are expensive and often place families in  crippling debt. JBS Hardship loans helped members to avoid money lenders and fellow members offer their support for the wake, funeral and the following pirits.

(See Section on Life Cycle -“Death and Funeral Ceremonies” https://www.sheppard.me.uk/sri-lanka/life/death.html)

Funeral of a  JBS member’s young daughter from fever. JBS members’ husbands dug the grave and assisted and supported the family at every stage.

Family bid last, sad farewell to their young daughter and sister at graveside.

Fetching household water occupied much time and energy. In Godawaya the water tap was initially only on the main road. A major early achievement of the local RWDS was collecting money to install a much nearer connection. Members could thus dedicate  more time on chena cultivation, small enterprises and school children on homework etc.

Washing clothes etc. was often undertaken at the local water tap.

Digging safe wells was a major project of groups of families  away from  mains supplies. Husbands would band together to dig the well and install the concrete supports and covers. Water was collected on foot, bicycle or on a wagon.

Cooking was mainly on wood fires. Members would often go together to collect firewood. This young woman is boiling drinking water - an early “lesson”  learnt at RWDS meetings.

De-husking rice. Now members can afford to take rice to the rice mill

Preparing spices for curry

Religion is very important. In this area the members are mainly Buddhists. The village temple and monks are highly respected. Members often visit their local temple to pray together or make pilgrimage tours to pray at  other temples such as Kataragama.

For further details see section  on “Temple Pilgrimages and Pujahs” :

https://www.sheppard.me.uk/sri-lanka/pilgrims/index.html)