BHUBANESWAR: Digital literacy training - an initiative by Humara Bachpan Trust (HBT) in collaboration with FICCI’s women wing FLO - was launched by Minister of State for Sports and Youth Service, Electronics and IT Tusharkanti Behera at Bantilo village in Astaranga block of Puri on Friday.
The initiative aims at empowering rural women and youth with digital literacy. In addition to this, an apparel skill training centre was also inaugurated in the village.Behera spoke about Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and his government’s various initiatives, particularly Mission Shakti, for empowering women across the State. Emphasising on the importance of diversification of skilling and training opportunities for women, he urged women to open and operate bank accounts for themselves to learn money management.
The Minister praised HBT and FLO’s contribution in empowering women. He also highlighted the efforts of HBT in skilling women in phenyl-making and and the business model incorporated therewith by the women to earn a livelihood.
Founder chairperson of HBT as well as FLO Bhubaneswar Dharitri Patnaik spoke about efforts being undertaken by HBT for upskilling women from rural communities in Puri and empowering them across various streams to swiftly lead them towards progress and development. She said digital literacy is more of a life skill or a survival skill. HBT in partnership with FLO is implementing Village Holistic Development (VHD) programme in seven villages of Astranga block to bring transformation in the lives of women to enable them to become successful entrepreneurs and professionals.
FLO Bhubaneswar chairperson Namrita Chahal spoke about the chapter’s initiatives. More than 1,000 women and youth have been trained through digital literarcy programme of FICCI FLO’s national initiative. On the occasion, digital literacy trainees were felicitated in presence of more than 200 women from Udayapur, Natara, Bantilo, Sisua, Keutijangha, Sanaola and Belanga villages.