Experiential Livelihood Education and Training

Sonbhadra district in Uttar Pradesh is one of the most resourceful districts with forests, mines and river; yet it is one of the most backward districts of India known for its chronic poverty, drought and unemployment. The Twelfth Five-Year Plan document by the Planning Commission of India had categorized Sonbhadra as one of the most poverties ridden district. Lack of opportunity causes many local youths to migrate to cities in search of jobs. They end up working as unskilled casual laborers due to lack of skills needed to survive in city markets. There is dire need for a new set training to channelize energies of the youth towards social transformation and protect them from falling prey to evils such as addictions, violence and trafficking. With more than fifty years of experience to address basic problems faced by the tribal and scheduled class forest dwelling community, Banwasi Seva Ashram recognized that youth skilling is vital to retain the youths in the development of the local communities. With support from IDS, they have targeted 240 school dropout youths and girls/women for vocational training. For the initial period, they were able to train 154 youths (15 men, 149 women) with the following vocational training: • Fruit and Vegetable Preservation training was organized for 40 high 10th class students and 27 girls/women. They learned preservation techniques and pickle making for fruits such as mangoes, jackfruit, Bael, Amala laddu, Murabba, etc and learnt how to price them for selling in the market. • Mushroom cultivation training was organized at 5 village cluster levels with one day training in group and 2 days hand holding support was given to start cultivation at their home. Total 55 girls/women got trained. This spawned and started mushroom cultivation small scale industries in these villages. • Dress Making training was organized in collaboration for 20 SC/ST girls. • Basic computer class were organized for male youths teaching the MS office programs

This project will empower the school dropouts and unemployed youth with skills that are relevant to the context and in demand leading to the sustainable livelihods to ensure their independent living and aid the village development. Imparting soft skills along with the livelihood skills will foster their communication skills and buid their confidence. To the extent possible this initiative aims at creating multi-skilled manpower enabling the rural people get these services by them within those villages, without requiring to visit towns for availing these services. Thus, this endeavourwill help the families of the trainees with addition of a earning member and the villages with suitable skilled person being available in the vicinity