The Samurdhi Development Department has launched a pilot programme for offering systematic self-employment training to around 10,000 low income earning persons in the Anuradhapura, Galle, Vavuniya, Kurunegala and Matara Districts as an initiative.
Anuradhapura District Samurdhi Development Director W.A. Wasantha told Daily News that in the Anuradhapura District, 2,082 persons engaged in various self-employment ventures sans any scientific training have been selected to join the five day training programme on the basis of three amateur entrepreneurs from one Grama Niladhari Division to contribute to 40 well planned training programmes under the First Phase.
"We have already completed seven training sessions. We started the programme last March. Under the programme, "You Lead" Non - Governmental Organisation has come forward to pay each trainee a stationery allowance of Rs.750 and provide free meals for them during the training period. The Samurdhi Development Department spends Rs.600,000 for the other services including resource persons, in this connection in the first phase. At a recently held district progress review meeting on the particular self-employment training venture the Samurdhi Development Director Wasantha emphasized that the progress so far achieved since last March stood at 98%.
He said that the aim was to empower the livelihood of Samurdhi recipients so that they, without depending on the Samurdhi stamps or other dividends, would be able to stand on their own feet.
Marketing and Entrepreneurship Development Director of Samurdhi Development Department M.G.S.S. Kithsiri, District Samurdhi Assistant Director Mahinda Weerakoon, You Lead Organisation's Consultant Sunil Wannigama and it's Entrepreneurship Development Director Harsha de Alwis were also present.
Add new comment