The basic idea behind the SHGs for the poor is to provide them with a vista for self-help in financial areas. A self-help group is a small group comprising people in the rural areas who collect their savings, and loan these out to members on an interest rate lower than that charged by the informal sector. If the SHG functions well for over a year, then it becomes eligible for loans from banks. Such loans are then used for creating self-employment opportunities for the poor. Thus, they become economically upgraded, and are not dependent on moneylenders anymore.
