Pics by Prajwal Ukkuda
Daijiworld Media Network—Mangalore (RD/CN)
Mangalore, Aug 19: The city-based Sanchi Trust, striving for women empowerment, organized a special meet of women entrepreneurs at the St Aloysius College auditorium here on Tuesday August 18.
Women and child welfare department assistant director Shakuntala inaugurated the programme on Tuesday morning by lighting the lamp.
Speaking on the occasion, she said that the department has an active plan of setting up Sri Shakti Bhavans in every taluk in the state and in the city it will come up shortly on a 5-cents plot adjacent to Bharath Mall. “The first floor will have marketing facilities to enable selling of homemade products produced by Stree Shakti Self Help Groups (SHGs) and training facility on the second floor”, added Shakuntala.
“‘Asare’ and ‘Udyogini’ are the two schemes aimed at empowering women entrepreneurs to set up their own small enterprises. Meanwhile, the department will set up a training centre for women entrepreneurs at Chilimbi. Women’s empowerment can only be achieved by educating women in general and improving their economic level”, she emphasized.
Sanchi Trust director Merlyn said that the beedi industry sustains nearly 7 lac beedi rollers in Dakshina Kannada (DK) and Udupi districts. “The beedi rollers used to get six-day stocks of raw materials in a week from beedi companies and this has come down to two days thereby threatening the livelihood of the rural masses. On the basis of the directives from International Labour Organization (ILO), jobless beedi rollers will be trained in other trades and professions, since it will sustain their future. The Trust takes interest in helping them get loans from banks in setting up small enterprises besides imparting basic training”, he added.
Trust president Jyoti Laxmi, director Padmini, and Jose Veigas of ‘Disha’ were present on the dais.
A display of homemade products produced by various Stree Shakti SHGs from across DK and Udupi districts was also held on the occasion.
A large number of women entrepreneurs from the two districts also attended the special meeting.