Self – Reliance .. Self-Empowerment
The main role of the voluntary organizations engaged in the task of social service is to rouse a sense of self-respect, self-reliance, and self-effort amongst the less fortunate people of the society. So, before the start of any service project for them, it must be ingrained in the minds of the people that their upliftment is possible only through their own self-effort and co-operative ventures.
With this object in mind the V.H.P., besides its education and health schemes, has also started some training programs for the people to teach them the qualities of self-help and self-reliance. At, present we are running self-employment training centers at many places in South Bihar, Punjab, Rajasthan, Maha Kaushal, Assam, Brij Pradesh, Orissa, Maharashtra, etc. The people are given useful training in occupations like farming, bee-keeping, agriculture, animal husbandry, and sewing. It helps them to supplement their family income for a comparatively decent living.
To provide work to the idle but able hands 85 Tailoring centers have been started for ladies. Out of which 25 are in Punjab, 9 in Rajasthan, 6 in Assam, 11 in Maha Kaushal, 8 in Brij, 4 in Andhra and in some other States. In some of the centers, apart from the training we also arrange sewing machines for the trainees to supplement their family income. In Jabalpur and Vrindavan sewing centers, garments are made according to the requirements of the local garment merchants at subsidized rates.
The boys from our hostels are also being trained in Motor repairs, House wiring, Cycle repair, Agriculture and Horticulture work. The cauliflower, carrot, and radish produced by Ashram boys of Haflong got first prize in Agriculture Exhibition held at their district center.
At Haflong, Dimosa Tribal women manufacture shawls, bags etc. out of wool given to them. In Orissa, machines for making cups and plates out of vegetable leaves, have been installed under the scheme, ‘Learn and Earn’.