Bengaluru: Don Bosco Shrine in Bengaluru’s Lingarajapuram has launched various schemes to help women achieve financial independence.
Parish priest Father Aloysius Santiago says if a woman is empowered the whole generation benefits. To achieve this goal, the parish team has initiated four self-help groups (SHG), through which women are trained on new skills to support each other in need. The program launched on December 6 targets to sell products the women of the parish exhibit after production.
“Women participation and empowerment are fundamental women’s rights to enabling women to have control over their lives and put forth influence in society. One of the key strategies of women 4 women empowerment (W4WE) is investment in skill and entrepreneurship development, microcredit, vocational training and SHG development for economic empowerment of women,” said Fr Santiago at a function to launch the program today.
The training list of skills planned to implement include fashion technology, candle making, food processing, screen printing and beautician course. .
Once the training is completed the parish priest s to provide the ladies of the SHG space to set-up stalls every Sunday in the church campus to sell their products. This is done with a view to enable women to have sustainable income generation. Hygienically prepared health energy drink, a supplement, is one of the items they have planned to produce which they think would support and empower them so as to enable them to stand tall in the society, said Ameli J Ceciely, one of the women in the team.
Food processors have come up with a healthy energy drink without any additives or preservatives, the organisers informed. They have named the drink as Rising Star Health Mix. The women have also come up with home-made condiments, traditional snacks and instant mix powders.
Fashion technology would produce masks, cushion covers, bags, embroidery, candles with floral and fancy designs besides basket-making among others.
The parish priest has urged everyone to join hands to support and empower the women in general and those engaged in the attempt to win in the society in particular by promoting their products.