ATR’s daughters can stand on their own feet.

The management has sent 21 children, including nine girls, from various villages for training at the Achankamar Tiger Reserve to provide better self-employment opportunities. This is the second time such a group has been sent to the Livelyhood Training Institute in Bhilai. The training program is organized by the Forest and Climate Change Department.

Nineteen villages within the Achankamar Tiger Reserve are dependent on the forest for livelihood. The management aims to end this dependency and strengthen their economic situation through employment opportunities. This is only possible when they venture out. It’s especially crucial for the youth to connect with self-employment opportunities, but they require training for it, which the ATR management is arranging.

Last year, 23 tribal children from villages under ATR were sent to Bhilai for Livelyhood Training, and all of them are now employed. Seeing this success, 21 more children have been sent for the training. The ATR management, along with the Lormi and ICICI Lovelyhood Foundation, has successfully sent children for quarterly training for the third time. The children are being trained in five important courses, provided with free uniforms and tool kits.

The ATR management has also arranged for the accommodation, food, and pocket money for the trainees. In a time where employment is challenging to attain, providing free employment opportunities to tribal children from remote villages is proving to be a commendable effort. Such initiatives not only solve the employment issue but also contribute to better forest and wildlife management. Out of the children sent for training, besides 12 boys, nine girls from the core and buffer zones are included. The management aims for not just boys but also tribal girls to stand on their own feet.