Training programme for NSRLM’s new workers concludes

Dimapur, Aug. 4 (EMN): A five-day training programme of the Nagaland State Rural Livelihoods Mission (NSRLM) that was ‘scheduled’ from July 29th July to August 3 has concluded at Kohima. The trainees were newly recruited area coordinators, accountants and data entry operators etc from 18 blocks, a press release from the organisers on Sunday stated. In her keynote address to the event, mission director of the NSRLM, Athel O Lotha welcomed the new team to the Deen Dayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihood Mission (DAY-NRLM) which is transforming the lives of rural communities and everyone involved in it, the press release stated. Lotha briefly highlighted the history of DAY-NRLM and its thrust areas, besides the milestones the project has accomplished in its 7th year of implementation. “I want you to know that you have been chosen from amongst thousands of equally qualified candidates to be part of this noble mission. You will be working closely with the target communities and key stakeholders both from the community and governmental level. Therefore, take this as an honour to be working for the good of the rural poor of Nagaland,” Lotha told the trainees. The officer also emphasised the importance of the programme which was a ‘vigorous orientation on all aspects of NRLM.’ They were urged to ‘ask and learn as much as they can so that they are equipped with knowledge and skills for effective program implementation in their respective posting area.’ Further, M Rollan Lotha, chief operating officer of the NSRLM, said that the mission’s first priority for the new staff was to deliver an ‘effective induction training program.’ ‘The objective is to welcome and acquaint them with the new work environment, its culture and practices, and prepare them for their new roles; and to give them a sense of belonging resulting in conducive and productive work environment,’ the press release stated. Taking the participants through the NRLM’s implementation framework, Lotha was stated to have stressed on the multi-dimensional aspects of rural poverty where the poor face geographic, economic, social, political and identity-based exclusion which intersect in complex ways. This creates barriers that the poor are unable to break, he told them. In spite of decades of livelihood development programs in India, the gains from such programs have been modest, he said. In this backdrop, Lotha explained that the NRLM seeks to provide greater focus and momentum to poverty reduction ensuring broad-based inclusive growth besides working to reduce disparities by spreading its benefits across the communities, sectors and regions. The officer said the self help groups are the heart of the mission with the ultimate goal of ‘communitization’ and to drive community institutions towards accessing financial products, services and livelihood services at their doorsteps. In other matters, Lotha was stated to have spoken about the state mission’s results framework which is a learning, live and dynamic framework. The press release stated: “He stressed NRLM is a holistic program touching across all aspects of an household need, and through this integrated intervention approached, by 2025 it foresees touching 1.57 lakhs rural household and forming them into 15000 SHGs and federating them into 986 Village Level organisation and registering 61 federation under cooperative act as financial intermediaries for its primary SHG members; 100 producer groups; 30,000 youths engaged in meaningful wage employment; Nagaland has enough Human Resource Capital (500 professionals and 4000 Community Cadres) to address issues of poverty in the State and elsewhere.” Further, Rollan Lotha iterated that learning was important for the staff which must understand and respond to emerging needs and concerns of the poor as they attempt to participate in the target communities to benefit from the program. ‘But this learning should not be limited to the program. To look beyond their job description, bring innovations, and that participatory mode in engaging diverse stakeholders is paramount to the success of the mission,’ the updates stated. The state mission’s team gave orientations to the new staff about various subjects of the DAY-NRLM on the first day, the press release stated. The next two days taught institution building, capacity building, social inclusion, social development, and gender. The latter two days of the programme focused on ‘participatory rural appraisal’ and field visits, the organisers informed. ‘The objective of these sessions was to ensure the participants during their village entry seek to understand what has been hindering the participation of the poor in development programme, why various benefits have not reached them in the manner envisaged’ etc, the updates stated.