PRAJNA has initiated self-help-groups to improve the economical understanding and self-empowerment of women.

Many families in villages and slum-areas around Mangalore live in poverty.  Alcoholism in neglected areas is an intense problem and whole communities suffer from that. Husbands spend their income for their addiction and families impoverish.

PRAJNA provides self-help groups for women to upgrade the awareness of resources and the economic substances of families. Women can build own entrepreneurships like opening tailor-shops or drying and selling fish. Through the results of the credits women are able to invest in education and medical care.

Through self-help groups the democratic understanding of women improves. Elected representatives share experiences and scrutinize loans in cluster federation meetings. They send representatives to the apex-body, who decide the allocation of credits. Under the attention of professional social workers the self-empowerment of the women improves. PRAJNA provides leader ship-skill training and educational programs as well as awareness building to encourage women. The focus of PRAJNA is the establishment of communities. Through the initiation of cultural programs and different group activities the coherence of the members increases.

Through the SHG Promotion program PRAJNA initiated 202 self-help-groups in rural areas. The SHG Promotion Program is supported by NABARD (National Bank for agriculture and rural development), NESA (New Enity for social action) and HUL (Hindustan Unilever Limited).

In the context of the empowerment and participation program for children and women in  South-India supported by KKS (Karl-Kübel-Stiftung, Germany) PRAJNA established 70 self-help groups in 20 villages and city corporation wards in and around Mangalore.