Guwahati July 14: A five day Micro Enterprise Skill Development workshop for Persons with Disabilities was organized by Shishu Sarothi in association with ARUNIM in Bosco Reachout, Guwahati. In the workshop started form 8th July to 12th July, 2013, 30 entrepreneurs with disabilities are participating who are running different kind of businesses i.e. mobile repairing shop, bamboo and cane products business, running game parlour, carpenter, running commercial vehicle, farming etc.
The objective of training is to develop a clear understanding of concept of enterprise and management of enterprise and to orient with tools and skills for designing program to promote micro enterprise. The training session included , case study of existing venture, identification, Challenges and opportunities,concept of labour, self employment and entrepreneurs, key elements of a market needs etc.This inputs to for the disables to uplift their work and to encourage them to work as a professional just like other people.
Arman Ali,Director of Shisu Sarathi said “We are organizing this workshop to develop the entrepreneurship quality of the disable people,so that people buy their products for quality and don’t do charity. It is sad that there is not much exposures for these people, both the government and private sector don’t come up for workshops. Most of the time things are limited to distributing of wheelchairs”
This Workshop is an introduction to start any enterprise and gives a basic knowledge before embarking on a business venture and also can be used as tool to assess the present work of Persons with Disabilities at the sheltered workshop.
The ARUMIN, “Association for Rehabilitation under National Thrust Initiative of Marketing” was formed in the year 2008. The key obejective of the organization is to create a marketing Federation and facilitate Entrepreneurs with disabilities to become “Contributors and Job creators”. Mrs. Thilakam Rajendran,Managing Director of ARINUM gave a brief lecture about ARINUM, and how quality products made by disables are marketed to the tone of Lac of money . A small movie on disables making quality handicrafts was screened for encouraging the participants. “You can all do it, you are all warriors and you all will win”. Were the encouraging words from Mrs. Thilakam.
“I hope to learn something so I have joined this workshop, I do handicraft works and have a shop” said a participant from Sonapur. For many this training session was very new. The workshop programme was funded and supported from Swami Vivekananda National Institute of Rehabilitation,Training and Research,Ministry of social Justice and Empowerment.
The society has advanced too far moving fast, but some discouraging thoughts have found it difficult to get uplifted from the modern society. The approach of the society towards disable people are still pathetic, and thus to break the taboo much awareness is still required. Empathy and not sympathy, should be the attitude of the society towards the disables, one should look for their inner quality and not simply do charity.(SP News)
