Bellary Diocese Launches Skills Training Centre for Rural Youth

JAWALGERA, BELLARY, Aug. 25, 2009, 19.10 Hrs (Conchita Suares / CBCI News):

Skills training for self employment for rural unemployed youth was launched at Jawalgera, Raichur district in Karnataka here on Monday, Aug. 24.

Bishop Henry D’Souza inaugurated the three-month long training for school dropouts and unemployed youth from the economically backward Bellary, Koppal and Raichur districts of Karnataka.

Launching the programme, Bishop Henry D’Souza declared, “Farming is the backbone of India. It’s only the farmers who provide food for the hungry world. Therefore, empowering the rural youth with productive farming skills is the need of the hour, to ensure food security for India.”

“Bring dignity to millions of Indian farmers and make their labour remunerative in order to make them live with dignity in their own villages”, urged Bishop D’Souza.

Bishop D’Souza insisted on the need of imparting self employment skills to the unemployed youth in rural and backward areas, in order to arrest migration and to “harness youthful energies gainfully for nation building”.

Bishop D’Souza also emphasized on the need for providing skills for hygiene, sanitation, water management and protection of environment.

Local member of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly Venkatrao Nadagowda and Director of the local Central Seed Farm, Dr. Dube were chief guests at the function, who lauded church’s efforts to empower rural youth.

“Masonry, tiles and stone laying, plumbing, basic electrician and motor winding, repairs and maintenance of agricultural machines and tools, and training in tailoring and designing will be the skills imparted to the trainees” said Director of the diocesan development society, Fr. Paulraj.

40 young boys and girls are participating in the 90 day training programme which will conclude on Nov. 25.

“The trainees will be equipped to upgrade their own small farms in dry/wet land cultivation during the farming season and to supplement their income, they would be able to start their own small scale business”, added Fr. Paulraj.

As the trainees have come from the rural and agricultural background, all of them will be given agricultural skills in wet land and dry land cultivation - seed selection, soil quality, land preparation, pests & diseases, fertilizers, harvesting, post harvest technology and marketing.