AWWA has run programs that cater for women’s vocational development. These include training for small scale industries, agriculture, and entrepreneurship. AWWA has been supported by the AGA office with invitations for their programs industrial training programs. AWWA has also obtained and distributed small scale rice flour milling equipment, and sewing machines to particularly deserving members.
Given the growing need and activities, we have rented a property close to Akurana town which serves as our Vocational Training Centre in 2013, We have established a dedicated Training Centre in Akurana. This was opened on International Womens Day by the Additional Divisional Secretary.
There are already equipment for conducting cookery classes, sewing machines and the furniture to host about 15 students. Already classes for sewing and cookery have been held for about 5 batches of 10 students each. Qualified instructors from both inside and outside AWWA were engaged.
The plans are now to undertake classes for students in sewing, cookery, knitting, Sinhala and English as soon as adequate funds are raised to subsidize the students. Another area of interest is to revive traditional techniques known to older women such as basket-weaving, mat-weaving, traditional foods, and other traditional handwork.
