PAU students train rural women in income generating activities for 50 days

Ludhiana, May 26, 2023: As many as 39 final year students of B.Sc (Hons.) Community Science, Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), trained rural women in different income generating activities as well as disseminated improved practices required for leading a healthy and happy life, during the 50-day Rural Awareness Work Experience (RAWE) programme, organised by the College of Community Science, PAU in the village Boparai Kalan in Sudhar block. During the programme, 10 teachers from five respective departments of the College of Community Science guided these students. The Course Incharge, Dr Preeti Sharma, Assistant Professor and Dr Manjot Kaur, Scientist, coordinated all the RAWE activities.

Dr Kiranjot Sidhu, Dean of the College of Community Science, who was the chief guest, appreciated the efforts of the faculty and students, and emphasized on the empowerment of women by making them economically independent. She encouraged them to form Self-Help Groups and also further engage with the university to enhance and polish their skills.

As the year 2023 is being celebrated as International Year of Millets, students demonstrated recipes made from millets like bajra khichdi,bajra upma, ragi ladoo, ragi dalia,jawar panjiri , bajra chilla, etc. They also demonstrated various entrepreneurial activities such as printing and dyeing techniques, reutilisation of old clothes, value addition, cleaning of stains and different embroidery stitches. Demonstrations on cleaning metal goods and preparing of artifacts from paddy straw and household waste were also conducted. Students trained rural women in making soap and candle, paper bags and envelopes also.

Apart from these, lectures on different topics like anaemia, hypertension, diabetes, general cleanliness, personal hygiene etc. were delivered. Information regarding child development milestones, geriatric care, maternal health, physical and cognitive development was also disseminated. Mental health issues were also discussed. The lectures on drudgery reducing tools, kitchen organisation, budgeting, energy conservation, consumer rights and responsibility, and right working postures were delivered.

World Health Day was also celebrated during which the health status of the villagers was assessed by measuring BP, height and weight, and providing them with diet charts to address identified health issues and diseases.

Earth Day was celebrated and plantation drive was carried out in the village through participatory mode. Five rallies were taken out during these 50 days to motivate people to avoid junk food, reutilised waste and save environment by preventing burning of paddy straw.

On the concluding day, a ‘Farm Women Fair’ was organized by the students wherein they exhibited articles prepared during the programme by them and the trained women from the village. A report of RAWE programme was read by the B.Sc final year student Ms Radhika Mittal. Farm women provided feedback about the programme and thanked the faculty, and students for organizing an informative and useful programme in their village. They also promised to carry forward the trainings by starting their own enterprise.

A competition was also organized for farm women on preparing Millet recipes, best out of waste and value addition of garments.

The Dean of the College Dr Kiranjot Sidhu; Head of the Department of Food and Nutrition Dr Kiran Grover, and Head (Incharge) of the Department of Apparel and Textile Sciences Dr Harminder Kaur distributed prizes to the winners and felicitated the office bearers and members of different formal and informal organizations in the village. The CDPO of Sudhar block Mrs Rajinder Kaur and Officers Mr Nalesh, Mr Navdeep and Mrs Lakhvir from PSRLM also attended the programme.