FAISALABAD:
A certificate distribution ceremony was held in Chak 242 RB for 135 women who successfully completed a month-long technical training camp arranged by the University of Agriculture, Faisalabad.
The camp was funded by the UAF Endowment Fund set up by the Department of Rural Home Economics for its Outreach Training Programme. The programme is meant to support initiatives that aim at enabling villagers to improve their standards of living.
The courses offered at the camp included stitching, fashion designing, fine arts, crafts and cooking.
UAF Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan was the chief guest at the ceremony. Others who attended the ceremony included National Institute of Food Science and Technology director general Prof Dr Faqeer Anjum, Endowment Fund director general Prof Dr Tahir Zahoor and Rural Home Economics Department chairwoman Naheed Abbas.
Speaking at the ceremony, Prof Iqrar Ahmad said by equipping villagers with marketable skills such initiatives could help them boost their earnings and improve their standards of living. He said the courses offered at the camp were related to businesses that were currently in high demand.
He said handmade products were considered more valuable all over the world compared to similar machine-made products.
He said the university would continue arranging similar camps in other villages around Faisalabad.
Prof Dr Faqeer Anjum suggested that markets be set up at the village level where the products made by villagers could be displayed and sold. He said such an arrangement had been implemented at villages in several Western countries to facilitate villagers in earning livelihoods.
Prof Dr Tahir Zahoor said the Endowment Fund would continue to arrange initiatives for transfer of technical knowledge to the rural community in the country. He said majority of the country’s population still lived in rural areas and therefore, it was necessary for universities to contribute to rural development.
Rural Home Economics Department chairwoman Abbas said two camps were arranged by the department under its outreach programme in 2010. In 2011, she said, the number of camps increased to four. She hoped that the upward trend would continue. Referring to her experience at the camp, she said women were reluctant to join the camp during the first few days.
However, she said, after some days scores of women started showing up. Many who could not attend the camp as it was already running over capacity had requested for another camp, she said.
Lecturer Ayesha Riaz and Shazia Ghaus, principal of the Middle School for Girls in the village, also spoke on the occasion.
An exhibition of the products made by the participants of the camp was also organised.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 5th, 2012.
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