Skills for Youth
Empowered Young Women through marked aligned skills training to generate employment
PROMOTING SUSTAINABLE LIVELIHOODS
VIEWS has been implementing community-based sustainable livelihood models to boost the income of rural communities in Odisha’s southern districts battered by intermittent cyclones and erratic climatic conditions that have severely impacted the agriculture sector, triggering large-scale migration. We work with the women in vulnerable communities to boost their income through farm & non-farm-based livelihoods and a range of interventions to help them build a secure resilient future. Our team engages with small and marginal producers through community mobilization, capacity building, input facilitation, technology, skill building and facilitating linkages with various stakeholders to enable food security through crop intensification and diversification by promoting alternative livelihood solutions while ensuring that all our interventions are eco-friendly.
The farm-based livelihoods promoted by VIEWS are:
Organic Farming
Only 2.6% of the net sown area in the state of Odisha is under organic farming as of March 2020 according to the Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare. With an aim to improve organic farming coverage in the state, VIEWS has been promoting organic farming methods like composting, mulching, and using bio-fertilizers to help promote healthy crops’ growth, as well as soil richness. Vermicomposting is another excellent method being promoted by our team to introduce important nutrients into the soil naturally.
Nutrition Garden
VIEWS promotes and supports communities in its operational area to set up nutrition gardens for continuous supply of fresh vegetables to their kitchen. After identification of available land, the women are provided seeds and tools besides training on organic manures and pesticides to equip them to grow vegetables and meet their nutritional needs.
System of Millet Intensification (SMI)
Our team is working alongside the Odisha government to promote the production of millet and consumption of millet-based products which are highly nutritious and a great alternative to water-intensive crops like paddy to withstand crop diversification and climate change.
System of Rice Intensification (SRI)
VIEWS has been working with more than 6000 farmers to enhance their paddy production by applying scientific methods and by changing the management of plants, soil, water, and nutrients to increase the yield. The method brings about early, quick and healthy plant growth, ensuring improved soil quality with enriched organic matter.
Commercial vegetable cultivation
Progressive farmers from the tribal and Dalit communities are identified, trained and supported to grow vegetables by using sustainable practices to enhance production and increase household income.
The non-farm-based livelihoods promoted by VIEWS are:
Fishery-based livelihood
Women from the fishing community are trained to develop value-added products such as dry fish, fish pickles, etc. to generate additional income. The community is educated about government schemes and sensitised on coastal area policies affecting their livelihood. Low fish catch in the areas have been pushing many fishermen to migrate out of the state in search of work. VIEWS has been sensitising the community on the subject of safe migration.
Mushroom farming
Small and landless farmers are being encouraged to take up mushroom cultivation to generate an alternative income. Resource persons and experts from the State Agriculture Department and the state-run agriculture university (OUAT) have been roped in to impart trainings on different scientific ways for mushroom cultivation.
Livestock promotion
Single women, widows and landless women farmers identified by the VIEWS team are supported to take up poultry and goat rearing for self-sustainability with relevant training and follow-ups.
Micro-enterprise for ultra-poor
Ultra-poor women face multi-dimensional challenges for food security despite spending a significant portion of their income on food. They experience exclusion from social protection, government services and markets, having limited access to productive assets and land. They face chronic health problems or disabilities and displacement due to climate change impact or conflict. They live in geographic isolation or hard-to-reach terrains and have to experience discrimination due to gender, ethnicity, religious norms, etc. Such women are identified and connected to market-led, gender-centric and financially viable community-based enterprises. Our team helps these ultra-poor women to reach the level of self-sustainability.
Social enterprise promotion
VIEWS promotes the manufacture of biofertilisers, facemasks, affordable sanitary napkins and reusable cloth bags by SHGs, young women and adolescent girls in both rural and urban settings. This not only ensures the financial well-being of beneficiaries but also popularises environment-friendly products at the household level.
Skill development
Unemployed educated youth, as well as dropouts from the area of intervention, are trained on different market-aligned skills such as tailoring, boat engine repairing, beautician, computer, soap and phenol making, mobile repairing, etc. Following the training, the youth are linked with banks for financial support. VIEWS continues to handhold them from time to time and provide training to constantly upskill them in their respective skills.
