FAMILY BENEFIT FUND

To improve family bonding and as well as have a financial strengthening as a whole family, this orientation was held for all the 6 villages. The Resource Person Dr. A.J. Christopher, Retired Social Work Professor/ Principal efficiently brought up the details of this Family Benefit Fund since it was introduced by him within his family that started with 6 members in 2015 and consists of more than 100 members at present. Loans can be availed by family members above the age of 18 for educational, business and any personal reasons. These savings and revolving loan models among the family members benefited the family members in time of need and the repayments in the appropriate time had made this model sustainable and successfulAs an effort to make the community members in our project villages aware of this model and strengthen the families in the community since strong families is where the better community arises.

The Resource person made the participants realise the difference between needs/ requirements that a person wants to survive in life and desires/ wishes that a person wants to have a better life.Even though there are earnings in families, it does not contribute to savings and when in time of need or emergency, families are forced to take loans/ debts from external money lenders whereas they fall into the cycle of poverty and unrelieved ever since. Instead of taking money from other people and repaying interest for the benefit of others, the family benefit fund has provided a platform to lend money and repay within the family which haspaved a way for stronger bond and unity in the family. This model has brought the family members together. Building trust in the family is one of the main objectives of this model.At the same time, there are risks in handling money and trust plays a major role in that.

The Resource person concluded the orientation by motivating the participants to improve in educational qualifications and encouraging the students to go to higher studies so that a model like Family Benefit Fund can be created in each village within the families.The Village Development Fund initiative of savings for the village has been voluntary from the families, therefore the family benefit fund will be added to this model and will be ensured that the families become shareholders in order to be the successful mode.