Training program on Participatory Training Methodologies at BIRD, Guntur
By Fr. Thomas Santiagu & Mr. S. Chandrasekar |
| Hyderabad, Jul. 26. A six day training program on Participatory Training Methodologies was held from 5th to 10th July 2010 at BIRD (Bosco Integrated Rural Development), Guntur. A total of 50 participants from three different districts participated in the training programme. The name of the project is Empowerment of rural women through formation of CBOs and integrated farming. This project is supported by German government through JDW, Bonn, Germany. This project is implemented in Don Bosco Chandur, Guntur, Ponnur, Punganur, and P.T. Parru. |
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The first two days were days of orientation for the staff. Fr. Thomas Santiagu and Mr. Chandra Shekar, the state coordinator, took the two days of orientation. The new staff were welcomed into the family of Don Bosco. Since most of the staff did not have prior knowledge of Don Bosco and his system they were given a brief history of the Salesian Society and about Bosco Seva Kendra. Fr. Thomas gave brief history of Don Bosco Institutions in Andhra Pradesh and our involvement with Community Based Organizations (CBOs) in Andhra Pradesh for the last 4 years and also other programmes and projects implemented through Bosco Seva Kendra (BSK), the Development office of the Salesian Province of Hyderabad. He also briefed about new project in which they are going to be involved ``Empowerment of rural women through formation of CBOs and integrated farming.``
Their roles and responsibilities were explained to them. The basic concept of Community Based Organizations and the how and why of forming them were taught to them. They were also given a brief input about MACS (Mutually Aided Cooperative Societies). The resource persons for the six days training program on Participatory Training and Methodoloties were Mr. Tirupathi from APMAS, Hyderabad and Mr. Seshu.
In these 6 days of training programme the resource persons covered the topics on leadership, decision making process, conflict management, communication skills, training methodologies, choosing the self help group movement and procedure. The participants were given enough inputs and acquired sufficient skill to work with the women in the community and the ways of understanding and analyzing the needs and problems of the community. The whole training was participatory and lively with small and large group discussions, charts preparation and presentations and apt activities. Participants were very much impressed by the way 6 day programme was conducted. With this induction programme newly recruited staff were motivated to take up this demanding and challenging work to reach out to the economically poor and marginalized section our society.
Mr. Chandrasekar, State coordinator of CBO project at the end the 6 days programme thanked all the resources persons and in particular the supporting agency for their generosity and willingness to support. He also thanked on behalf of every participant Fr. Balaraju, the Provincial for his blessings and encouragement and Fr. Sudhakar, the Director of BSK for providing employment opportunity to these newly recruited staff. He remembered with gratitude Fr. Thomas Santiagu who arranged this meeting and seeing to the needs of the participants and for his physical presence for all the 6 days. All the participants went away happy to have gained lot of knowledge and skills to be agents of transformation in their respective places. |
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