Govt Gifts Tribal Women Livelihood Skill This Diwali

This Diwali will be special for 40 women from a nomadic tribe in Kanhai village, Gurgaon. They recently received certificates from the government for successfully completing a 2-month skill development programme to develop their embroidering and other related skills. The programme, introduced by the prime minister, has earned them a livelihood of dignity and self-reliance.

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"Various nomadic people, or people from notified tribes, have to be trained in the whole country for this scheme to be effective," said Anita Agnihotri, secretary, ministry of social welfare. "These people possess the talent, they just need to get skilled so that this talent can be refined," she added, as reported by TOI.

In progress since July, the women have been trained in embroidery, sewing, knitting and cutting. Their children were also taught painting.

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Lauding the initiative's success, Roopak Vasishtha, CEO and director of Apparel, Made-Ups and Home Furnishing Sector Skill Council (AMHSSC), termed  the employment of people from the OBC category, and tribals as a "paradigm shift". "This is the first time such efforts have been made," he told TOI.

The focus now is to let these women decide their own path. Whether they want to work in factories or want to be self-employed and work from home, it's totally up to them. The officials are now planning to include Oriental Craft in the programme.

The training was supervisioned by the AMHSSC of the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, and the National Skill Development Corporation - and the National Backward Classes Finance and Developm Apparel, Made-Ups and Home Furnishing Sector Skill Council, which comes under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.

Soon a discussion will take place in order to see if the women need any help to make a decision about their work or not.

Feature Image Credit: Alibaba

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