Structure of Samudram
237 SHGs
and 35 NSS NSS federated
formed in 4 to form 4
districts District Level
Fisherwomen 1-2
Federations
from 46 villages members
(DLF) A president
in 9 blocks are of NSS 4 DLFs formed heads the apex
members selected to into Samudram body; Buguru
DLF Federation at Chitamma is the
the state level current president
10-15 SHGs, Each DLF
represented by 8-10 comprises 8-10
members, in every representative Apex body
village clubbed to form members of comprises 11
Nari Shakti Sangathans In 2015,
NSS members; all
(NSS), a cluster level Samudram was
4 DLFs are
federation a federation of
represented
3889 members
A BRIEF HISTORY OF SAMUDRAM
Samudram was born of a long struggle shutting down local liquor stores and groups. The women, who did the back end
of women of the fisherfolk community. ending child marriage. Till date they hold job of sorting, grading, and trading, were
Alcoholism and gambling was a big vigils to keep a tab on both drunkards and now able to save a small amount every
problem in these parts. The fishermen, liquor brewing units. Samudram imposed a month for their household needs.
who held the purse strings, often spent fine of Rs 500 on anyone caught drinking;
all the money on liquor leaving nothing for the fine was divided between the informer However, to escape the local moneylender-
health and education expenses. This also trader-debt cycle, the women would need
(Rs 200) and the SHG (Rs 300). Gradually,
led to incidences of domestic violence. institutional credit. Federating the SHGs
over the years, the women have managed
To add to this the fishing villages lacked into a cooperative structure facilitated
to get the police on their side.
basic amenities due to the remoteness the availability of credit; the cooperative,
of these villages. Women of the fisherfolk The other big problem of the fisherfolk Samudram Federation of Fisherwomen was
community came together to fight against community was indebtedness. The formed in 19953. Though a force to reckon
alcoholism. fishermen purchased their nets and with on the social aspects, the federation
boats on a loan from moneylenders, who was slipping on the trade front. Rising
The women, led by a firebrand Buguru production cost, lack of proper market
incidentally were also the traders. In order
Chitamma,3 raided local liquor brewing linkages and storage space, and a fall in
to pay back, the fisherfolk would sell their
units and ensured that they shut down. catch all led them to distress sales and
catch to the traders at throwaway prices.
The women formed themselves into Self subsequent decline in household income
Lack of storage facilities, reduced catch
Help Groups (SHGs) to fight alcoholism and and poverty.
due to global warming and an impending
other social ills like child marriage.
natural disaster further exacerbated the In 2009, Oxfam India supported Samudram
In the 1990s, several SHGs were formed already weak bargaining power. The SHGs to initiate cooperative trading to ensure fair
in these districts. UAA which was already that were formed started with the usual price through market intervention. Further,
working at the grassroots, helped to savings-credit activity that helped ease in 2012, the cooperative was turned into
federate these SHGs at the village and some of these problems. All the groups a producer companySamudram Trading
district level in order to strengthen the deposited their savings (anything between Fisherwomen Collective Producer Company
alliance, and raise a collective and a Rs 25 and Rs 100 per month) once a month Limitedto make trading more viable and
stronger voice. The SHGs did well in in the Revolving Fund of the respective share the benefits among all the members.
To make trading more viable and benefit sharing among the The role of the members of the different layers of the cooperative
members, the cooperative was turned into a producer company is well defined. The NSS procures fresh fish and dry fish from the
in 2012. Each member would hold shares of Rs 500 to develop the SHG members and sell at the appropriate price. The DLF is involved
running capital base and the benefits of the sale would be shared in the procurement, processing, value addition and sale of marine
between them. The company was set up to procure and market fish and fish products. The apex body is responsible for the overall
fish to centres like Kolkata, Vishakhapatnam, and Chennai. Owing management of Revolving Fund and the entire fish trade.
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