Rajshahi: More than 6,500 youths, most of them are women, from poor and extreme poor communities, have become self-reliant workforces through vocational education on various trades in the city, reports BSS. They are now either rendering their services as fulltime workers or apprentices in various sectors like welding, motor mechanics, plumbing, auto-electric and embroidery or tailoring almost everywhere in the metropolis. "Personally, I'm happy with the pro-people activities as many of the unemployed people could make themselves fit for contributing to the society in various ways through  vocational training, alongside gaining economic self-sufficiency," said Ajahar Ali, Chief Executive Officer of Rajshahi City Corporation.
He said the promotional activities are done by the recently concluded Urban Partnership for Poverty Reduction Project (UPPRP), a seven-year anti-poverty scheme funded by UNDP, implemented in the city since July 2008. He viewed time has come to generate more and more youth leadership in the society for making them time-fitting social actors to free the society from various crimes and malpractices like drug-addiction. Enriching youth leadership along with their capacity building is the precondition to generate job opportunities, social development and free the society from gender discriminations and vicious cycle of poverty, he added. Mahbubul Alam, UPPRP town manager, told BSS that some 5,792 youths including around 4,800 females were given six month’s apprenticeship training on the need-oriented trades and vocations after linking them with the factory and shop owners till December last.
Around Tk 5.21 crore was spent for the purpose. During the six-month apprenticeship period, each of them was provided Tk 1,500 per month as apprenticeship allowance in addition to some assistance from the shop owners. "Raziya Sultana, 25, of Dharampur Bazekazla earns around Tk 400-500 per day after making and selling cloth bags for shopping and now she is on the afoot to divert her long-lasting poverty and hunger," said a local community leader.
Rahima, 30, wife of Rustam Ali of Hetemkha area, told BSS that she received six-month training on tailoring.
Now, she has brought some happiness in her four-member family as she earns Tk 500-600 per day after operating a sewing machine at present.
"We worked here improving living and livelihood condition of some 73,000 households including 61,000 extreme poor and poor families through multi- sectoral anti-poverty interventions," said Mahbubul Alam adding that the apprenticeship is one of the major components.
Ajahar Ali stated that the city area is the home of around eight lakh population and around 65,000 households of are poor and extreme poor categories, who needed special support for uplifting their living and livelihood condition.