Providing sustainable livelihood

As part of ‘Goal 1 – End poverty in all forms’ members of the Hyderabad Youth Assembly (HYA) conducted a workshop at Hathunur village in Hathunoor mandal over the weekend.

As part of this, members helped the residents by providing them with alternative sources of income through a handicrafts workshop that included candle making and silk thread jewellery making.

Commenting about the event, Brahmanandam, Vice-Chair, HYA Goal-1 said, “The workshop was conducted at the open ground of boys’ primary school in the village.

Tents were set up and carpets were laid to accommodate a crowd of 100 women. Most of them were housewives while a considerable number of them were school going girls.”

“Village residents were taught to make silk thread bangles, earrings, gel wax and scented paraffin wax candles.

All the materials required for the above mentioned items were purchased and provided by the organisation members.

It was imperative that they not only witnessed the procedure to create them but also, practised in order to memorise the procedure,” added Niharika Amajala, Documentation head, HYA Goal-1.

The crowd was instructed in these crafts by tutors Bindumadhavi Reddy and Swati Gorak.

Sharing details of their findings, Amajala said, “The fact that these women didn't disperse, despite long hours of instruction in the above mentioned crafts, surprised us. It also ensured us that they did need this workshop to create employment.”

“We wanted these women to seize the opportunity to create employment for themselves. The opportunity to be self-sustainable.

Thus, we let them retain their works, the moulds and other simple paraphernalia required for them to pursue the craft,” she said.