Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore (KD)

Mangalore, Apr 27: Over the past 24 years the organization has been serving the unemployed youth of rural areas. Being on the threshold of its silver jubilee the Rural Self-employment Programme (RUSEMP) will flag off the jubilee year on Tuesday, May 1.

Fr Edwin Pinto had a dream to develop the society through making the youth of the rural areas to be self-employed and to improve the economic status of the rural area. As the Chinese proverb goes, it is better to teach someone how to fish rather than give fish to eat. So it was his opinion that it was not right to give donation to the people instead create in them self-awareness and training to make use of natural resources and to be self-sufficient.

Andheri Help association supported Fr Edwin for three year in his dreams; Canara Organization for Development and Peace (CODP) gave his plans a boost by joining him to make his dreams come true. In this act Fr Stanley Pereira was the one who supported, when he was the parish priest of Pakshikere. He also had the dream of running a Technical institute at Pakshikere and had purchased 3.75 acres of land.

In 1982 The Rural self-employment (RUSEMP) training centre started. For the first time 36 local boys were trained and most of them pursued self-employment, which encouraged other rural unemployed youth to follow their example. This was recognized by the state and the union government and received help from the government.

Support also came from the  District Industrial Centre (DIC), Samall Industries Service Institute (SISI), Food and civil supply department, District Rural Development Society (DRDS), NABARD and IDBI.

RUSEMP has been training the youth not only by the technical training but also helping them to be gentlemen, to live in harmony and to develop good character. It has been selecting unemployed youth between 18 and 35 years and from backward areas.

Since its inception in 1982, RUSEMP has, till date, trained 43 batches. In all, 2101 students have got the training in 43 different grades. Out of them, 931 students have become self-employed, 678 employed and 253 students have been pursuing higher education.