HT Bureau
GUWAHATI, Jan 23: Dalmia Bharat Foundation (DBF), the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) arm of Dalmia Cement (Bharat) Ltd. (DCBL) organised training for Self Help Groups (SHG) for nutrition and health as well as entrepreneurship options in Umrangso and Lanka.
Around 200 women farmers from 28 SHGs were trained in the ‘Agri Nutri Garden’ at the Dalmia Cement, Lanka plant. The program was led by resource persons Dadul Bora, a progressive farmer of Hojai district along with Sanjay Sharma, Ranjit Bharali, and Raj Mohammad of the Dalmia Bharat Foundation.
The topics of the training were cultivation practices, use of organic manures, biofertilisers, treatment of diseases, and management of Agri Nutri gardens. The resource persons further explained the nutritional significance of colored vegetables – saffron, green, and white for improved nourishment of women and children.
Dalmia Bharat Foundation also conducted a two-day training workshop on food processing and entrepreneurship for 37 Self-Help Group members from two villages, Borolobang and Umrangso.
The training and demonstration of making brinjal pickle, pineapple jam, star fruit squash, etc., from seasonal vegetables and fruits were showcased by a woman entrepreneur from Nagaon. The program was attended by Block Project Manager Albert Lalduhawma and Block Coordinator Lalsindiki Changsan from Assam State Rural Livelihood Mission (ASRLM) who appreciated the initiative taken by DBF.
Commenting on the initiatives, Padmanav Chakravarty, Regional Manufacturing Head, North-East, DCBL said, “The community-driven project is a derivative of Government of India’s important nutrition program – POSHAN Abhiyaan – to eradicate malnutrition in women and children.
We wanted to focus on the nutritional development and economic security of local women. The purpose of these projects is to empower and encourage rural women to build their own Agri Nutri gardens as well as partake in entrepreneurial activities thereby becoming self-reliant.”
