The 750 sq.ft. training centre built by Ramakrishna Mission Ashram at Valabu, a remote hamlet in Devarapalle mandal, has opened new avenues for tribal communities.
As part of its first step towards women empowerment programme, 15 tribal women were imparted sewing skills at its recently launched centre in the neighbourhood. The six-month-long free training programme wherein each participant was given a stipend of Rs.1,000 a month concluded recently.
Those who were part of the course felt that the platform helped them step out of their homes and learn something new they could never do so far. Since they have to walk long stretches of muddy roads to meet their daily needs in the hamlet, they often confine themselves to their homes. However, the training centre in their area turned out to be a boon for them to meet their skill requirement which remained a dream for them until recently. “Lack of approach roads and economic condition continue to be a major setback for most tribal women to come out of their house. The tailoring programme aims at equipping them with soft skills and making them self-reliant. After the completion of the course, sewing machines have also been distributed to each participant,” says Swami Guneshananda, assistant secretary of the ashram. Regular medical camps held at the village gave way to identifying the needs of the locals and providing customised training to them. “Those residing at Valabu village have to cover long distances to visit a medical store or a primary health care centre. This is one of the main reasons why we wanted to reach out to communities through medical camps,” explains Swami Guneshananda, adding that the weekly camps that began two-and-a-half years ago will continue in future as well.
