a) Member Top

Those poor people who become organized for their own development and include themselves in the micro-credit process through a definite procedure are called members. The ultimate goal of the micro-credit process is the all-out development of the members. The members preserve the right to take-up or to give up the membership of the somity as per their own will and decision.

b) Classification of the members

Member can be classified as- (i) Regular member and (ii) Irregular member based on their capability and quality.
Regular member: Those members who maintain the discipline, obey the rules & regulations of the somity, whose transaction is regular and ensure the development of their families are known as regular member.
Irregular members:Those members who do not attend the meeting regularly do not deposit their savings in time do not obey the rules and regulations of the somity, do not transact property, their activities are rather irregular. They are known as the irregular members.

c) Inactive members

Those members who attend the meeting, deposit their savings but do not take the loan or take a small loan and after some intervals receive loan again, sometimes they remain silent in the activities of the somity. They are known as inactive members.

d) Hardcore poor or struggling member

Those poor people who cannot manage their food two times a day or work hard for earning the lowest income to save their lives, they are called hardcore poor or struggling member. In the micro-credit process loan is provided to the landless or wealth less. But for the sake of maintaining discipline, rules, and regulations the poor members are sometime Onsted from the somity with the help of comparatively wealthy members. As the member is included on the decision of the somity member very often the hardcore poor cannot be included, in the somity as a member. Comparatively wealthy members apprehend that if the hardcore poor are included in the law and order of the society may be hampered. In the circumstances, those hardcore poor and struggling members are provided with the special loan under credit program.

e) Responsibility of the members

  1. To attend the meeting in time.
  2. To deposit at least the minimum savings decided by the organization in the meeting.
  3. To maintain discipline in the meeting.
  4. To deposit installment and savings to the chief/ gr: leader of the somity.
  5. To be acquainted with the rules & regulations and responsibility as well as to inform others.
  6. To listen to the microcredit staff’s advice and to obey the same.
  7. To keep the utilization of loan money in the right track.
  8. To propose a justified loan proposal for other members.
  9. To help in the distribution of the loan.
  10. To assist the chief/ gr: leader of the somity.
  11. To obey the rules-regulations and decisions of the group.

f) Indicators of the ideal member

  • To attend the meeting regularly in time and sign the attendance register
  • To deposit savings regularly
  • To supervise the loan of other members
  • To create self fund
  • To increase the self amount in the investment every year
  • To up lift the status of education, health etc of own family
  • To increase social status
  • To repay the loan without any dropping
  • To know the rules-regulations of micro-credit & obey it accordingly
  • To help others

g) The role of the staff to build up an ideal member

  1. To inform the rules-regulations exactly and help to obey it accordingly
  2. To sustain the membership, a regular discussion should be carried out
  3. To inspire the member not to be absent in any meeting
  4. To inspire the member for depositing the installment and savings in time
  5. To keep close touch with the members regularly
  6. To assist the members for the highest investment and to earn maximum profit
  7. To maintain harmony between income and expenditure and to create own capital
  8. To inspire the members for helping each other and to maintain the rules-regulations of the somity

h) Steps to convert the inactive member to active one

  • Sharing with the family head and other members of the inactive member
  • Analyzing the safe investment of the inactive member and to encourage for taking a justified loan
  • Those members who attend only center meetings, discuss and to encourage for taking the necessary loan to increase investment as well as income of the family and to assist them in the utilization of the loan money in the right track
  • An arrangement of training & sharing of experience among the members
  • Taking initiatives for analyzing the demand of those members who take a small loan, sometimes do not receive analyzing their demand loan and discussion with the family members to motivate them to receive loan money as well as proper utilization of the loan money
  • Discussing the fruitfulness of participating in all activities of the somity 

i) Withdrawal of membership

Taking a definite number of members, somity is formed in micro-credit process. Due to the long absence in the somity, the membership is canceled. Too many reasons a member may withdraw his membership from the somity. He is at his liberty in this matter. But he is to clear up all the dues of the somity. If anybody does not obey the rules and regulation of the somity, his membership automatically stuck out. In a meeting on any justified ground, a decision can be taken to cancel out the membership of one or more members as per consent of the members present, realizing all outstanding dues.

j) General cause of withdrawal of membership

  • A miserable condition in the family.
  • If the loan money is not utilized in the right track.
  • If the scheduled installment cannot be deposited
  • If the rules-regulations of society is not known exactly.
  • At the time of training if it is not followed well.
  • If indiscipline prevails in the somity.
  • If the member goes away as per family requirement.
  • If the other members take the decision to drop the membership.

k) Problems created due to withdrawal of the membership

  • Loan distribution cycle is hampered
  • The question of recruiting new member arises
  • All performance for recruiting new members are to be completed
  • Difference between loan and deposit is created among the members
  • Before alleviation of poverty if a member leaves the somity as he is not benefited the whole program carried out for him bears no fruit
  • Coas prevails in other’s mind

l) Preventives measure of the staff to stop the withdrawal of the membership

At the time of entry of a member, the case should be studied well-
  • To own the somity as per rules and regulations
  • To propose the loan regularly
  • To prepare the members for forthcoming disaster management
  • To help for building up family as per planning
  • To maintain discipline of the somity
  • To maintain all accounts of the members properly
  • To behave well and provide necessary suggestions to the members during distribution of the loan
  • To distribute loan to the member at a reasonable time
  • To maintain communication with the members of the family