Fraternal Life Sabha (FLS)
Regn No. 86/1994
When Fr. A. S. Antonisamy was the Assistant Parish Priest of Our Lady of Rosary Church, Eraiyur, during 1972-1974, he met with a boy with a goat. Upon enquiry, he understood that his mother stopped him from going to school and asked him to work in the field of a landloard from whom she had borrowed money for high interest. His further enquiry revealed that there were many such children who were victims of family indebtedness.
- This incident prompted to study on indebtedness further. A detailed study was conducted on indebtedness in Eraiyur and surrounding villages in Villupuram district in Tamil Nadu, South India, during 1973-1975 by Fr. A. S. Antonisamy. It was revealed that out of 1200 families studied, 940 families were in debt. This revelation triggered further enquiry in to this matter.
When Rev. Fr. A. S. Antonisamy was the Executive Director of the Pondicherry Multipurpose Social Service Society (PMSSS) – the official development organization of the Archdiocese of Pondicherry-Cuddalore- conducted a socio-economic survey conducted in the rural and urban areas of the districts of Puducherry and Karaikal of the Union Territory of Puducherry, Cuddalore and Villupuram Districts of Tamil Nadu to understand the conditions of people. It was evident from the survey that people were in severe debt and they had availed loans from various sources with huge interest rate. Thousands of farmers and rural workers commit suicide every year due to financial problems. This was a very unfortunate trend that will require great efforts, attention and priority to alter the conditions that affect the human dignity.
Having understood the reality of the indebtedness of the villages, Most Rev. Dr. V. S. Selvanather, the former Archbishop of Pondicherry-Cuddalore, requested Fr. A. S. Antonisamy to go to Ranchi for an exposure visit to the Chota-Nagpur Catholic Cooperative Credit Society Ltd. He visited the society and came back to Pondicherry to start a similar society. He consulted the officials of the State Cooperative Department of Puducherry, but the law did not permit to do so as the area of operation was already covered by the Primary Agricultural Cooperative Credit Banks.
Based on the rural surveys conducted earlier, a campaign of awareness and education was initiated. As a result, people were organized into groups called ‘Fraternal Life communities’ for initiating and thrift and credit activities. The campaign was intended to address the problem of indebtedness in the rural areas and to mobilise private savings from the villagers by educating them through Three Coady Seminars conducted by the Coady International Institute, Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Canada, in collaboration with the PMSSS.
- 1980- First Seminar- Development through Education and Cooperatives
- 1981- Second Seminar- Membership Education and Credit Unions
- 1983- Third Seminar- Program Planning for Socio-Economic Development
(In course of time, the need for networking was felt and a federation was formed in an informal manner in 1984 under the name “Fraternal Life Organization”)
Fraternal Life Communities – FLCs
(Sagothara Vazhvu Sangams- SVS)
Fraternal Life Communities (FLCs) were organised in every village of the then South Arcot district which was later on bifurcated into Villupuram, Kallakurichy and Cuddalore districts of Tamilnadu and Puducherry and Karaikal districts of the Union Territory of Puducherry from the year 1976 onwards casually and FLCs were formed systematically from the year 1983 after the Coady Seminars. The FLCs were not only organised for savings and credit needs of the poor, marginalised and vulnerable communities suffering from the clutches of money lenders, but also for solving the local problems of the village communities covering their socio, political and cultural spheres of life. The first FLC was formed in Tagore Nagar, Puducherry
Total Number of FLCs formed ; 137
Total amount of savings : Rs.15.07 Crores
(The savings of the FLCs are kept at the village level at their bank accounts of the respective FLCs at their responsibility)
Total amount of loans given to members :
(Loans are given by the respective FLCs from their respective savings at the village level at their responsibility)
Total Loan outstanding : Rs. 17.42 Crores
- 1989 – Fourth Coady Seminar on Evaluation of Fraternal Life Organization
Programmes Initiated
- 1980 Holy redeemer’s Service Training Centre for leadership and development trainings was statrted
- Started 137 Sagothara Vazhvu Sangams (FLCs) in all villages of the model of Credit Unions with a membership of 11,087 members and a saving of nearly 15.07 Crores
- 1983 The Sagothara Vazhvu Sangams informally federated into Fraternal Life Organisation
- 1987 Mr.G.Boniface Julian, Secretary, PMSSS, was sent to Coady International Institute, Canada, a 6 months course in Development. He could finish only the foundation course for a month and returned due to ill health.
- 1988 started staff Credit Union as a model for all Sagothara Vazhvu Sangams in the name Fraternal Life Development Society (FLDS).
- From 1980 to 1989 Misereor supported the Leadership training project through IGSSS, New Delhi, which supported the promotion of Sagothara Vazhvu Sangams.
- 1990 Poorest of the Poor project was started with the following 4 components funded by Caritas Germany for the members of FLCs
- Land for Landless
- Home for the Homeless
- Health for All
- Social Assistance as a project for 4 years (1990 – 1993), for Staff salary, Training cost, Revolving Fund capital for Land purchase, Housing Loan and project expenses.
- 1990 Mr.M.Aloysius, Project Manager, Training Centre, was sent to Coady International Institute, Canada, for a “Diploma in Social Development” a course for 6 Months. He completed the Course and joined duty.
- 1991 Rev.Sr.Meera of Cluny Congregation was appointed on contract for 3 years as Assistant Project Manager of the Training Centre.
- 1991 Rev. Sr. Meera was sent to Philippines for Rural Social Leadership Training at SEARSOLIN for 6 months, and she completed the course and joined duty.
- 1993 Mr.M.Aloysius, Training/Project Manager, was sent to Berlin, Germany for a course in Project Management for 7 weeks at “Duetsch Stiftung fur International Entwicklung”. He finished the course and rejoined duty.
- 1993 Holy Redeemer’s Service training centre (HRSTC) was constructed at Kalapet Fathima Agricultural Farm, Periya Kalapet, and inaugurated in June, 1993 supported by Caritas Germany as an integral part of the project agreement for the use of POP project stake holders.
- 1994 (25.03.1994) Fraternal Life Sabha (FLS) was registered as a federation of 90 Sagothara Vazhvu Sangams under the Societies registration Act, 1860 with Regn.No.86/1994.
- FLS organised various trainings to the leaders of FLS varying from Leadership skills to accounting skills at village, zonal, district and state level.
- FLS coordinated the “Poorest of the Poor” project and implemented the
- Land for Landless and
Identified 334 members of FLCs and given a total of 224 acres of land to landless agricultural labourers at the cost of Rs.1,22,12,250 as loan at nominal charges.
- Implemented Home for the Homeless project to benefit 284 families to build 284 houses at a total cost of Rs.55,99,000/- as loan.
- Implemented Self Employment Programme (SEP) at a total cost of Rs.1,56,19,000/- to benefit 6375 families as loan.
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