by Chris Ferreira
CHHOTAUDEPUR, JUL 26, 2016: Ninety participants from 19 villages of Pavi Jetpur, Kawant and Chhotaudepur talukas met for a workshop on Methods to Improve the Functioning of Special Help Groups (SHG's) 
and the management of issues like Education and Sanitation at grass-root levels' in the neighbouring tribal belt.
The Development staff organised the workshop at Don Bosco campus in Chhotaudepur. The resources persons addressed the gathering on several issues that ranged from the role of mothers, to the varied tribal schemes related to primary education.
The resident Rector of the Institution, Father Brian Boothello and Brother Ramesh Durairaj, President of the Development Office of the Salesian Province of Mumbai for the Gujarat Region, spoke about the inevitable catalyst's role of a mother and the ever- innovative and well informed role of a woman, in their talks respectively.
Sumitraben Chauhan, Co-ordinator of the Tribal Sub Plan, Chhotaudepur spoke about the varied tribal schemes related to primary education. Her remark about equity among boys and girls was well-built in her thoughts on gender equality and physical development of children irrespective of the pupil's gender. She addressed the concerns of education affected by migration. She also spoke about the reduction of the morbidity and mortality rate as the need of the hour.
Dipikaben, the District Co-ordinator, Mission Mangalam, Chhotaudepur broke the concept of SHGs for the audience. She informed them that in the scheme for Below Poverty Line (BPL) card holders, Mission Mangalam provided not only Rs 5000 as resolving fund to the women's groups but also offered training to the children of SHG members in vocational courses.
"Even Above Poverty Line (APL) card holders were beneficiaries of this scheme in 2015 but later in 2016, the Gujarat Government withdrew this scheme," she said. She ended by saying that villages can form ten SHG groups for which the Mangalam Project will provide Rs 5,00,000 for income generation programmes.
The day ended with an talk on holistic education and planned sanitation by Nagin Rathwa and Reman Rathwa, both Lok Seva Kendra Masters at Chhotaudepur.