Self-Reliant Training

Girls: This year seven girls from Veggie Tale Village were very eager to attend this training, as they wanted to learn day to day speaking English and Kitchen Gardening along with Dairy.  It was really very surprising for me initially. I met their parents and they were also very keen to send their girls for this training. So one of girl’s fathers took responsibility to drop and pick them everyday. So finally I register their names. Girls were really good, cooperative and discipline. They were very enthusiastic in spiritual education—Starting Point—class. Years ago they were part of our Sunday school and a Veggie Tales VBS held in their village…thus the name.

Subjects completed: We covered following subjects in this training.

Importance of Dairy as a mix farming,

Selection of best Dairy cows and buffalos,

Handlings of animals,

Care of pregnant animals,

Good care of babies,

Importance of Vaccination, Identification of sick animals and their care,

Marketing, Kitchen Gardening,

Day to day English speaking,

Starting Point (Christian Education)

Importance of training: India is an agriculture country. 72% of Indian population lives in rural areas. These people depend directly or indirectly on agriculture and animal husbandry. Villagers’ productivity and income are low (less than one dollar a day) and they face food insecurity, and that’s why MILLIONS of village young people age 13-30 forced to migrate seasonally or permanently without skills. Competencies required by the modern economy that India is rapidly becoming, leaves them behind. The training programme improves the live hood opportunities by developing participants skills in agro based mix-farming projects like dairy, poultry and goat keeping. This training involves helping urban young generation to identify issue of Self-Reliance and facilitating their efforts to bring about change in these areas and improve agro-business.

Training:

This year it was fun due to mixed group. Every morning we had Starting Point class, which was favorable to many boys and girls.
They used to listen it very carefully. After this we had an English speaking class, which was really fun to teach and listen. After one week I make them speaking in English in the class.
  
Initially there was hesitancy from girls, but later on they started speaking very good. After that we had some kitchen gardening classes and practical’s too. There was a good teamwork. Girls happily helped in cooking and cleaning the class.
Boys also happily and willingly helped in whatever they were asked to do, even they helped in cleaning the vessels before girls.

                                  

In practical’s boys were ahead in handling and catching animals, but girls also showed courage and took part in everything.

As a recreation boys got chance to swim and girls enjoyed carom board.

This year we used laptop and it really made impact on students. (Notice the fan is on the computer, NOT the humans.)  

Three ex-students also joined for dairy as they done goat keeping last year.

Impact: In this training along with dairy management we discussed many things, which is applicable to live a normal life. On graduation day many students said in their testimonies that, “Really this training change their thoughts and mentality.”  Yes, that’s very true because we discussed on many day-to-day issues like fellowship, teamwork, living normal life, trusting others and making efforts to improve quality life.

Desh who is 16 year old young man but looks like smaller physically because of malnutrition boldly said that, “Many youngsters laugh at me, but now I have confidence that I can do something and help my parents.”  Many students improve English-speaking skill and are very proud about that. Many of them are happy as they get chance to learn more about Jesus through Starting Point.

Over all at my point of view: It was fun and joy to be with this group. Really this Self-Reliant Training not only meeting economic development needs in village youth but also more likely to equip them with the knowledge of true Savior.

We tried our best to teach them Self-Reliance by remaining within their own communities those youths retain a sense of belonging and identity and also benefit from the knowledge they achieved in training.

I am heartily thankful to Prakash 4 India for helping with this training programme. It really provide me opportunity to do quality evangelism. May our Almighty bless you all who stand with us and make the road for us to glorify His name.