Dear Friends,
For the last 7–8 years, TISA has enjoyed an open and organic culture. Many Self-Help Groups (SHGs) came into existence, and that phase served us well. We are now entering a new phase—one of consolidation and quality improvement. As part of this process, I have been reviewing all SHGs closely, and I have noticed an interesting pattern.
Several well-established SHGs have split because a few members lived far away in large cities. In principle, that makes sense. However, instead of meeting physically at the new, more accessible location, many of these groups have continued to meet only online. If the meetings are online anyway, they could just as easily have remained part of the parent SHG.
Similarly, instead of holding small regional online meetings, members could participate in the daily National Lounge. Imagine if ten PWS from Maharashtra joined ten others from across India—we would have a vibrant group of twenty participants every day. Just an example!
A larger gathering usually creates a richer experience for everyone. The value of a meeting lies not only in how much time I get to speak, but also in how much I get to learn by listening to others.
Recently, during a national mock presentation, the presenter waited for more participants before starting and finally said, “I’ll begin when there are seven or eight people.” I smiled and replied, “In that case, you may have to wait for the rest of your life!” We all laughed—but the point was serious.
Over the years, we have created many SHGs, but perhaps only a handful are consistently active and functioning well. Instead of growing stronger, some larger SHGs are gradually fragmenting. In a few cases, there also seems to be an assumption that running an SHG automatically leads to a place in TISA’s Core Team!
Let me clarify that this is not how TISA functions.
Membership of the Core Team (on SLACK) is based solely on functional responsibilities. Volunteers serve because they are actively performing a role. When they step down or someone else is better suited to that responsibility, another volunteer takes over. There are no permanent positions by design.
Another observation is that nearly 90% of the members in some splinter SHGs are exactly the same people who also belong to the parent SHG. It is understandable for two or three Core Team members to be present across several groups for coordination, but widespread duplication serves little purpose and spreads our energies too thin.
With these realities in mind, I am reviewing all SHGs. Some groups may be released from the monthly Achievement Form reporting process and, where appropriate, from the TISA Community structure itself.
Please do not take this personally. This is not a judgment on anyone’s commitment or goodwill. It is simply an effort to build a healthier, more sustainable organisation.
I will remain in touch with every group. Whenever an SHG demonstrates sustained activity—particularly at least one documented physical meeting every month for a year or more—I will be happy to welcome it back into the formal TISA structure.
My home is a very big one. I want everyone to have a clean, well-kept corner in it. But for the home to remain welcoming, every room must be lived in, cared for, and contribute to the life of the whole house.
