Chamba girls receive self-employment kits

In a major initiative aimed at empowering women in the remote areas of Chamba, Raj Kumar Chaudhary, Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of National Hydro Power Corporation (NHPC), distributed self-employment kits to 62 girls during an event organised by the Yog Manav Vikas Trust at its Antarnirmaan Complex, near Banikhet town.

The initiative, part of a long-term partnership between the NHPC and the trust, seeks to equip women from impoverished backgrounds with the tools necessary to begin their own businesses after completing skill development courses.

Among the 62 graduates, 34 girls were presented with manual sewing machines, while 28 received beauty therapy kits. These young women, hailing from remote villages such as Kalhel, Badoh, Kandla, Dhargala, Diur, Singhadhar, Churah, Salooni, Surangani, Devi Dehra, Bagdhar, Khairi and Balera, have successfully completed skill development programmes offered by the trust, in collaboration with the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS), under the Government of India.

Chaudhary lauded the trust’s efforts and emphasised the importance of self-reliance for the graduates. “It gives me immense pleasure to see these young women take a step toward financial independence. The NHPC is proud to invest in their futures and I have no doubt they will succeed in becoming self-sufficient, contributing not only to their own livelihoods but also to their communities,” said Chaudhary.

He emphatically admired sincere efforts SK Dodeja, a former Director of NHPC and founder of the trust, for relentless service in the field of women empowerment in Chamba district.

He assured the NHPC’s continued commitment to supporting such initiatives, stating, “This is just the beginning. We are committed to furthering this collaboration and ensuring that more women in these remote areas are given the opportunity to thrive. We want to see them actively engaged in earning a livelihood and improving their quality of life.”

Kiran Dodeja, chairperson of the Yog Manav Vikas Trust, expressed her gratitude for the NHPC’s ongoing support. “For over 20 years, we have been dedicated to empowering women through skill development,” she said.

She added that given the trust’s excellent performance in past years, the NHPC entered into an agreement with them for training 360 girls in the next three years.

Dalhousie legislator DS Thakur, who attended the event, praised the efforts of the trust and expressed interest in expanding the initiative to other areas.