FEATURES
Village Development Work is Thriving
September 2023
Tailors, beauticians, electrical technicians, plumbers, handicrafts – all these and many more kinds of vocational training are provided by the JSS, an adult education program funded by the Ministry of Skill-Development & Entrepreneurship of the Central Government of India. Odisha, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Meghalaya are the states where nearly 9000 village beneficiaries were trained by five JSS centres managed by the Mata Amritanandamayi Math during 2022-2023.
Pooja Sharma is one of them. She is a beautician who now works as a wage employee in a salon, earning more than ten thousand rupees monthly. Baptu Namasudra works as a mechanic and earns 15,000 rupees per month. G. Kusuma and Subbalakshmi work as tailors, and their monthly average income is between 8000 – 11,000 rupees. These amounts are sufficient to cover monthly home expenses, buy medicines and pay tuition fees for their children. They even set aside money every month.
Gottapu Kamalavani from Dibbaveedhi is a beneficiary of the Hand Embroidery course conducted by JSS, Vizianagaram. Having received excellent training, she works from home doing Muggum work, embroidering saree blouses with pearls and sequins. “I earn not less than 9000 per month, I could give good support to my family members.”
Busurothu Krishna Veni lives in Saripalli in Vizianagaram district and is self-employed. ”I have two children. I used to travel three kilometers every day and do manual labour when we faced financial problems.
“I joined the Jute Stitching Operator course in Saripalli for 120 days. I went daily for 2 hrs for four months and learnt to stitch different models of jute bags. After completion of my course, a few of us started a jute bag stitching unit in Saripalli. Now, I earn more than the daily labour work, approximately R.5,000/- to Rs.6,000/- per month. My family’s financial position is better now, thanks to Jan Shikshan Sansthan, Vizianagaram,” she concludes.
Bindu Deepthi Kumar completed her Beautician training from JSS, Idukki in 2018-19. She started a salon and earned around Rs,15,000 monthly. She was offered a job at a Beauty Parlour in Haifa, Israel. “I now live and earn well in Israel. I also own a mobile beauty Parlour. My family at home is now financially very secure.”
JSSs are reaching the unreached areas to cater for the needs of the poorest of the poor. They bring infrastructure and resource persons to the doorstep of the beneficiaries. The priority groups are women in scheduled castes and tribes, minorities and other under-developed sections of the society.
Jan Shikshan Sansthan (JSS) scheme is implemented through Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) with 100% grants from the Government of India. JSS, Idukki – Kerala, JSS, Virudanagar – Tamil Nadu, JSS, Kalahandi – Orissa, JSS, Vijayanagaram – Andhra and JSS, East Khasi Hills Meghalaya function under the aegis of the ashram.