Shillong, July 28: HDFC Bank today launched its corporate social responsibility initiatives in Meghalaya and will train women and youth in vocational skills as part of the endeavour.
Addressing a gathering here, HDCF Bank manager (CSR) Suchandra Bose said the bank will train women and youths in bee-keeping, broom-making, agricultural development and soft skills to economically empower over 4,000 people in 15 villages of the state.
She said the bank has partnered NGOs FXB India Suraksha and Aroh Foundation for the initiative.
In 10 villages of Ri Bhoi district, women are being trained in apiculture and broom-making. The broom-making units are located at Nongrim Jyrmie and Pahambir Them villages and the bee-keeping units at Mawiong and Pahamnongtrylaw villages. In other villages of the district, the bank helps farmers cultivate grass used as raw material in broom-making.
Similar agricultural development and skills training programmes are being undertaken for women and youth at Mawkdok, Mawjrong, Umdiengpoh, Umtyngngar and Dympep villages of East Khasi Hills district.
On marketing of broom and honey, Bose said the bank has identified markets and traders who have agreed to buy the products.
Anna Mary, one of the 15 members of a group involved in broom-making, said the product fetches Rs 40 to Rs 65 in markets in Guwahati and south India. The group makes around 30 brooms per day.
"This skills-training initiative is part of the bank's board-mandated objective of creating sustainable communities. Sustainability is one of the five core values at HDFC Bank. The bank helps women and youth in establishing units for manufacturing the products and teaches them about market linkages and credit linkages enabling them to market their products and scale the enterprise," the bank said in a statement.
The bank is also undertaking a school sanitation programme in Meghalaya. It is building sanitation infrastructure in over 125 schools in the state. More than 8,000 teachers and students will benefit from the programme, Bose said.
