The 69-month-old Indian Overseas Bank’s Rural Self Employment Training Institute (IOBRSETI) here, which has, so far, produced over 3,500 entrepreneurs through its comprehensively designed training programmes, has virtually resurrected the lives of 26 poor widows and deserted women by imparting them training in tailoring and giving sewing machines to 20 of them.
What actually makes this programme unique is that these poor women are the sole breadwinners of their families after their husbands, mostly drunkards, died or chose to desert the family.
Sensing the pathetic condition of the women, the ‘Mahalir Thittam’ decided to organise a training programme in tailoring exclusively for widows and deserted women.
And, Project Director of ‘Mahalir Thittam,’ V. Jayakumar, handpicked the IOBRSETI for conducting this 30-day training programme.
“Besides teaching you the art of tailoring, the IOBRSETI has given you soft loans for buying sewing machines with which you should start the income generation activity from your home. Now, you are an entrepreneur, who can withstand any adverse situation and face any challenge,” said Mr. Jayakumar after handing over the sewing machines at the valediction held on Friday on the IOBRSETI premises at Maharaja Nagar in Palayamkottai.
Thanks to the efforts of S. Nambiraj, Director, IOBRSETI, the beneficiaries have received the Rs. 5,700-worth sewing machine for Rs. 5,000, which is repayable to IOB in 36 months.
“In other words, the beneficiaries will have to pay Rs. 150 a month as the bank collects a nominal amount as interest,” said Mr. Nambiraj, adding that the bank was prepared to give more loans to them if they repaid the entire loan amount with interest before 36 months.
Soft skills taught
“Apart from training the participants in tailoring, we taught them life and soft skills including yoga, banking, account maintenance, problem solving, time management etc. so as to make them a full-fledged entrepreneur,” Mr. Nambiraj also added.
Representatives of IOBRSETI would visit these women after they started their units periodically to assess their performance and help them.
Senior Regional Manager Sushil Chandra Mohanta, Lead District Manager S. Alagarsamy, Assistant General Manager, NABARD, K. Ramalingam and Chief Manager, IOB’s Maharaja Nagar branch, Joseph participated in the programme.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> TamilNadu / by Special Correspondent / Tirunelveli – September 12th, 2015