After being formed in 2001 by Phoolbasan Yadav, Maa Bamleshwari Janhitkari Samiti has since grown to cover 12000 women self-help groups with a reported total strength of over 200,000 members. By collecting ₹ 2 per person, the organization has accumulated a corpus of ₹ 250 million, equivalent to US$ 3 million. The participating groups engage in activities such as health programs, education, sanitat
ion and social reforms. They conduct regular polio vaccine clinics, have opened schools and anganwadi, organize food programs such as Bal Bhoj, set up livelihood earning programs such as sewing centers for women and campaign against child marriages. The organization, which has adopted 54 children, has a presence all over Chhattisgarh and has initiated social campaigns such as Sharab Bandh (Stop Liquor), a campaign through which they were reported to have succeeded in closing down 250 liquor shops in the state, Swaccha bharat Abhiyaan (Clean India Mission) in which the organization played important role in making 8 blocks of the district open defecation free. The Prime Minister awarded the swacchata samman to the organization. The organization has prepared 20000 soak pits for rainwater harvesting in the district. The women SHGs in the district are involved in various kinds of income generating activities such as Bazar Theka (market contract), running fair price ration shops, contract of mines, running general/provision stores, fisheries, horticulture, animal husbandry, Poultry farming, Agricultural works & produces, collecting- buy & sale of forest products, vegetable vending, running cottage industries, running hotels, grocery, & cloth shops etc.
