Dr. Syed Sehrish Asgar, MD Jammu Kashmir Rural livelihood Mission (JKRLM) has made everyone proud after she earned the SKOCH Award for exceptional, contribution towards the economic development of rural women under programme SAATH. The SKOCH Foundation has awarded the JKRLM the renowned SKOCH Award in honor of the JKRLM’s achievements under the SAATH program.
Dr. Syed Sehrish Asgar ha earned the award for creating 5 lakh women in the Union territory. She received the award in a virtual ceremony. SAATH is a rural entrepreneurship acceleration programme that aims to help women in rural areas become self-reliant. JKRLM had started a thorough mentoring programme called “SAATH” for selected SHG members who had started businesses through the SAATH Program.
The J&K government’s SAATH initiative aims to increase village women’s income by forming self-help groups, teaching them, and exposing them to market dynamics. By federating around 5 lakh rural women into over 60000 SHGs, the efforts have played a critical role in poverty eradication, with 1 lakh rural women federated into SHGs during the Financial Year 2021-22. Currently, the Mission has enabled capitalization of around Rs 1161 crores, with a special focus on rural economies.
Sehrish stated during the introduction of this women-centric initiative a year ago that women who perform small work don’t make enough money because they lack the expertise in marketing, packaging, and branding. This effort, she claimed, would teach women such skills and help them turn their firms into Higher Order Enterprises.
“This award is a tribute to the efforts of the hundreds of women in Jammu and Kashmir who are reshaping the rural economy by becoming productive members of the society,” Dr. Sehrish remarked. In order to achieve our goal of nation-building, we shall continue to work hard and seek greater quality and better possibilities.”