By V.Alamelu Bannan | Project leader
Empowering Women through Alternate Livelihoods: Millet Food Processing Training by Rural Women Development Trust
To promote sustainable livelihoods and economic independence among women from marginalised communities, Rural Women Development Trust (RWDT) successfully conducted a one-month hands-on training program in Millet Food Processing. This initiative is part of our ongoing commitment to create alternate employment opportunities for women living in poverty and facing systemic socio-economic exclusion.
The training, held from 1st May to 30th May 2025, was facilitated by a certified expert trainer from the Entrepreneurship Development and Innovation Institute (EDII). The program focused on the practical preparation of a variety of snacks and nutritious beverages using minor millets such as Ragi (Finger Millet), Jowar (Sorghum), Kambu (Pearl Millet), and other locally available millets.
Participants were trained to process and produce a range of value-added millet-based food items including:
Millet-based snacks like laddus, murukku, and biscuits
Instant health drinks and porridges
Ready-to-cook mixes
Nutritious millet-based powders for infants and elderly
The objective of the program was twofold:
Skill Building: To equip 50 women with practical, market-relevant food processing skills.
Livelihood Generation: To enable these women to start their own small-scale enterprises or join collective production units, leading to a steady and dignified income source.
Through this initiative, RWDT aims to uplift vulnerable women—particularly those from formerly bonded labour families and underprivileged backgrounds—by offering them economic empowerment through self-reliance and skill development.
We thank EDII for their expert facilitation and our dedicated team for ensuring the success of the program. The positive response from the participants has inspired us to replicate this model across other districts and reach more women in need.
Rural Women Development Trust continues to stand by its vision: Empowering Women, Transforming Lives.
By V.Alamelu Bannan | Project Leader
By V.Alamelu Bannan | Project leader
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