Economic independence and maturity are important determinants of any community’s development and of any individual’s sense of self worth. Through its projects, SARD actively works with community members to develop their economic self-sufficiency through community-based initiatives.

The formation of self-help groups is another key initiative at SARD. In most of our project areas, women are entirely economically dependant upon their husbands, which limits their independence and sense of empowerment. Through the formation of self-help groups, SARD has been able to empower these women to generate their own income and take better control over their livelihoods and lives. These groups are also with local banks and Government schemes

SARD also conducts various skill enhancement courses in its programme areas, ensuring that the vocations chosen are well-suited towards the needs, culture and economy of the local community. After community members are trained in a particular trade SARD’s work is not finished, as our trainers work with these beneficiaries to develop their entrepreneurial and marketing skills in order to give them the best chance of becoming economically self-sufficient in the future.
Vocations SARD has conducted trainings on:

• Livestock management including goatery, poultry, and sheep rearing,

• Kitchen gardening and organic farming,

• Tailoring/embroidery,

• Promotion of handicrafts skills such as jute (macramé), textile designing,
  papier-mâché, hand-made basket weaving,

• Training on technical trades including: automobile mechanics, mobile
  repairing, plumbing, and electrical training.