Adivasi youth from Madhya Pradesh participated in a 10-day-long skills training workshop in Hyderabad to help them secure alternative livelihood opportunities and open up avenues of supplemental income.
A total of 11 Adivasi youth from Panna and Vidisha districts received training in tailoring, crochet, macramé, pottery, spoken English, and bag-stitching among other skills. They also learnt the basics of operating a computer, shooting videos and editing them. For the young women, short classes were also held on topics of health and hygiene.
Most of the youth had to discontinue their education in order to provide additional earning hands to their poverty-stricken families. They have no other choice but to help their parents in the field, work as manual labourers at mine sites, or take up household responsibilities.
"I studied till class 7. I sometimes do labour work to earn some money. Since there are not many employment opportunities in the village, I came here to learn sewing so that I can earn a little," said 20-year-old Sita, who hails from Kimasan village in Panna district.
"I have always been interested in computers and hence I asked if I could be taught how to use them," said 18-year-old Mukesh Raikwar from Vidisha, who aspires to set up his own computer shop in his village someday.
The youth are now looking forward to sharing their newly-acquired skills with peers back home in their village.
Pyari, who works for Dhaatri as a youth mobiliser in Panna, hopes that her actions could elicit a small change in her village. "I'll go back to my village and teach the children all the skills I learnt here. I'll even share my new skills with other youth who couldn't come here. I can't change the thinking of the entire village at once, but if I teach them new skills, maybe it will have a little positive effect," the 24-year-old said.
Pictures from the workshop:
