From February 22 to 24, 2019, the SARVAM facilitators organized a Digital and Financial Literacy Workshop for the core team members, each of them carefully selected from the villages under SARVAM project. In the past, SARVAM has organized many soft skills and livelihood training programmes, but with the recent increase in mobile connectivity, digitization of financial transactions and the compulsory requirements of government documents such as Aadhaar Card, Pan Card, Debit Card, Online Bank Transactions, etc., SARVAM is now regularly organizing Digital and Financial Literacy Training Workshops for various demographic groups in the villages. These workshops are a part of the core group’s outreach programme to help in their neighbouring areas stay updated with newer concepts of entrepreneurship, digital transactions and awareness generation of government programmes.
Smt Chitra and other trainers of SARVAM conducted a 3-day programme in simple, uncomplicated language for easy understanding for all the participants, based on modules provided by the CSR wing of the corporate giant L&T Finance. The purpose of this programme was to create a bridge between the financial and digital knowledge and the thousands of people in the villages with whom these members work and communicate with at the grassroots level. The people in the villages are taking up new occupations, for which they need loans, financial and government documents and also awareness about how to financially operate their enterprises. The sessions covered topics such as income, savings and expenditure; good and bad loans; how and who to apply for loans; types of digital payments; types of insurances, etc.
The workshop included some videos, management and physical games and experiential sessions which made the heavy and intricate subjects easier to understand and assimilate.
The skills imparted will be central to promote the financial viability, improve employability and livelihood opportunities, reduce poverty and enhance productivity of the people in the villages. Coordinated efforts are being put in to develop an integrated approach that improves access to relevant livelihood training to all women attending the programme. Each of these sessions is being keenly attended by the people in the SARVAM villages.
