LEMMI, 16 Mar: Over 60 members of women SHGs participated in a 15-day bakery and soap-making training programme conducted here in Pakke-Kessang district by the NABARD under the Micro Entrepreneurship Development Programme.
The valedictory programme on Saturday was attended by NABARD DDM Talung Taloh, ArSRLM BMMU BulloUmmpi, staff of the ArSRLM block, staff from the Centre for Financial Literacy under MoneyWise, and the trainees.
“The main aim of the programme was to empower women’s groups, especially SHGs, which has proven to be a successful and impactful method for promoting sustainable gender equality within communities. This initiative sought to provide social and economic advantages for the entire community,” the NABARD informed in a release.
Since the project commenced, over 20 trainees have created jobs in local enterprises, offering sustainable livelihoods to rural inhabitants and bolstering the rural economy, it said.
The strategy of the programme included several steps, the first being to identify, through participatory approaches, the most significant needs of the target women in their current situation, and to set goals based on their aspirations while mentored by livelihood experts. Following this assessment, customised training programmes were developed to improve the women’s socioeconomic wellbeing.
Asha Pangia Gollo, a mother from rural Pakke-Kessang block, established a small bakery-cum-eatery unit in Lemmi. “The training inspired her to launch a successful enterprise, greatly enhancing her family’s income and providing jobs for other women in her village,” the release added.
Anjali Techi Tara from SHG Keko Anya said that she is now involved in door-to-door sales of the training products in her village and plans to supply the entire district with properly packaged and labelled products in the coming days.
The NABARD DDM while praising the trainees for their earnest involvement encouraged them to create micro-businesses to achieve financial independence. He noted that the NABARD’s projects consistently emphasise outcomes and impacts, specifically livelihood generation and economic growth for rural communities.
