Akshara - Gurukulam

Invitation to participate in the National Level Foundation Program - Principles of livelihoods Enhancement and second Program - Management Appreciation Program for Livelihood Practitioners.

Akshara Network for Development Support Services, in its efforts to build Gurukulam, a Development Management School for enhancing livelihoods of the poor (D-school), is launching its national level foundation program "Principles of Livelihoods Enhancement" with a particular focus on rural livelihoods, to begin the process of meeting the felt needs of the development fraternity to cater to the economic needs of the poor in a more systematic and holistic manner.

More than a million (in the country) self-help groups around savings, credit and in natural resource management covering many villages, through watershed development and joint forest management have started to transcend the traditional savings, credit rotation, bank linkages etc., towards enhancing the productivity of land, water, flora and fauna, to collective enterprises, value addition etc. on one hand and source inputs, produce and meet the market-need for a variety of products, skills and services, collectively, severally and individually.

Thus, a new journey has begun. It has begun when globalization is unfolding and when many of the existing livelihoods are becoming less competitive. Livelihoods are becoming dynamic. Poor may be pushed into further deprivation if they are not alert and aggressive to plug the gaps/leakages in their livelihoods efforts on one hand and to cash on the opportunities that are in the horizon. Active search for the new but competitive livelihoods has to be ON. Rural economic sector is being seen as an opportunity to invest. New generation banks, insurance sector, corporate sector are gearing up.  But the poor are taking time to see through this and get ready to benefit from the opportunities. A little input in terms of knowledge, skills, meta-skills (skills to identify the new skills required and learn), tools, institutional innovations, professional support and some resources shall make all the difference.

This journey of the poor towards better, improved and/or new sustainable livelihoods and therefore, improved quality of life needs support. Professional Support, not charity. Professionals with improved and/or new tools need to service their innovations and innovative institutions. New professionals should see this journey that can sustain their career ambitions. The communities should graduate to hire and manage these new professionals.

This is gathering momentum and is becoming a new movement. These new professionals, livelihoods professionals, are emerging. These new organizations, livelihoods organizations and livelihoods support organizations are emerging. Some have emerged. Some visioning and organizational development support to meet the new challenges might help. A helping hand or two accelerates the pace. Let us press the accelerator. Let us join hands.

It is in this context, Akshara has begun its efforts towards establishing and managing Gurukulam. This is the first effort from Gurukulam to reach out to the key players/potential key players across the country in the area of enhancing livelihoods of the poor.
We specially invite you to participate personally in the program and/or depute your senior colleagues to participate in the program, to begin the process of accelerating the pace of livelihoods movement in the state. Token fee for participation is to meet the actual costs of the program.

Details of the program:

Management Appreciation Program for Livelihood Practitioners
National Level Foundation Program - Principles of Livelihoods Enhancement