A move by the Vijayapura Zilla Panchayat to mandate uniforms for mid-day meal workers in schools has led to the creation of remunerative jobs for women members of self-help groups (SHGs) in the district.
The ambitious scheme to provide uniforms to mid-day meal workers in the district is expected to converge the energies of the 150 active self-help groups and the departments of Rural Development and Panchayat Raj, National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM) and the district Rural Development and Self-Employment Training Institute (RUDSETI).
The uniforms will be stitched by the over 4,500 members of SHGs which will buy the required clothes.
A cluster of schools will be paired with a group of SHGs that will prepare dresses. Schools will pay the cost of each uniform, around ₹2,200 per set. School principals have been asked to pay the amount to the SHGs willing to supply the dress sets.
“This scheme will benefit schools as it ensures hygiene and introduces discipline. Wearing of aprons and caps will help produce cleaner food. It will help workers maintain their saris clean for a longer time. It will also give the kitchens a more professional look and style,” said Zilla Panchayat Chief Executive Officer Rahul Shindhe who came up with the idea.
RUDSETI has trained all the participating SHG members, while NRLM officers have supervised the process. By linking the uniform scheme with the SHGs, a huge livelihood opportunity is being created in rural areas, he said.
“The scheme has been introduced after months of planning and coordination between officers, SHG members and associations. Most of the uniforms are now ready to be delivered to schools. The MLAs will deliver the uniforms to the schools in each taluk,” he said.
The plan involves providing two shirts, two aprons and two caps to each of the around 5,500 mid-day meal workers, who are mostly women. The dress has been designed so that it can be worn over saris.
The SHGs have been asked to regroup into sub-groups of 30 members who will then prepare the uniforms. The whole exercise is expected to fetch a rural revenue of ₹1.5 crore per year, that will add to the earnings of poor families whose women are members of the SHGs, said NRLM district coordinating officer C.B. Devaramani.
