Role of Cooperative in Livelihood: A Case Study of Adharbhut SACCOS Ltd,Buddhabatika-8, Kapilvastu

Abstract

The present study has examined and focused on "Role of Cooperative in Livelihood Improvement" of Buddhabatika of Kapilvastu District. This study's objective is fulfilling the partial requirements of MA in Rural Development at Tribhuvan University. For this purpose, the researcher has selected the Adharbhut SACCOS, Buddhabatika-8, Kapilvastu. Beneficiary share member’s households were major focal areas of the study. Study area was familiar with researcher hence data and required information were collected easily on time. After the establishment of Adharbhut SACCOS, some significant changes have been come in its coverage areas. Major changes are livelihood improvement and women empowerment of shareholders. They are actively participated on saving and credit mobilization. Cooperative itself planned its activities as per shareholders requirements. The main focus of the study to evaluate the role of cooperative in livelihood and analyzed the effectiveness of cooperative on financial status and living standard of shareholders. It was mainly based on quantitative and qualitative research approach. The researcher selected 64 respondents among 1,010 shareholders of 630 HHs through simple random method. Nepal is one of the developing countries in the world. Around 23.8% people are under the poverty line. They are facing lots of problems in their daily life and affecting their livelihood too. Most of people are engaged on agriculture. Unequal distribution of resources plays a significant role to create social inequality in Nepal. Agrarian economy of traditional Tharu community trends to contribute towards the rural poverty. Relatively government's investment and efforts on agriculture is low which could not have uplifted to those people living standard. In this burning condition the people of Dubiya have taken an initiation to overcome such problems through cooperative and then they were associated in Adharbhut Saving and Credit Cooperative. The cooperative have influenced on social, religious and economic factors of its members. Cooperatives are playing pivotal role in rural development and socio-economic of the communities providing different facilities like saving and credit facility, income generation training, empowering through different interventions recently that has become successful weapons to improve living standard of its member. The general objective of the study is to analyze the present role of cooperative activities to income generation and livelihood improvement in the study area. Random sampling method has been applied to collect information through direct interview with key respondents to achieve the objective secondary data has also been used which was taken through different sources. The study has been carried out on the basis of explorative as well as descriptive research design. The Adharbhut Saving and Credit Cooperative has influenced on member living standards. After become cooperative member most of respondents' the research shows that their living standard has improved and social status of respondents' has also increased than before. When shareholder's income level has increased then their purchasing power has also parallely increased. Respondents' capacity has built up and they take part on decision making in cooperative and even in the communities. Resulting it, their living standard has also upgraded. This evident has shows that the Adharbhut SACCOS playing the vital role to transforming them ill being to wellbeing.