The Myrada Experience: Alternate Management Systems for Savings and Credit of the Rural Poor
–Aloysius Prakash Fernandez

This book documents MYRADA’s pioneering journey starting in the early 1980s to develop “alternate management systems” for rural credit. It details the evolution of the Self Help Group (SHG) model, moving away from traditional cooperatives and money lenders toward small, homogenous “affinity groups” built on mutual trust. It explores the philosophy of “Credit Plus“—where credit is used not just for financial relief, but as a tool for social empowerment and institution building. It serves as a comprehensive guide on group formation, the management of a “Common Fund,” and the successful linkage of these groups with formal banks.