Dimapur, May 26 (MExN): The Kushe Humanity Foundation (KHF), a state-based NGO, on Tuesday initiated a 5 days’ training session on the ‘basics of masonry’ at Thilixu Aqasa in Dimapur. About 28 youths from the rural areas, mostly unemployed and school dropouts but with potential, will be benefiting from this programme. Senior Architect in the state department of Planning, Chinithung, and his team of experts will be monitoring the trainees with instructive inputs on the technicalities of construction activities and its potentialities.
Speaking during the launching session of the programme Chinithung said, “This sector (construction business) forms a basic input in a number of facets of socio-economic development on our society.” On its vast scope and potentialities he enlightened that this sector is employing 31 million people while its contribution to the national GDP stands at 20%. Also, in Nagaland, he said the opportunities in this industry have been quite high “providing gainful employment” with “private and public sector investments in the range of 70-80 crores while generating about 1.5 lacs of employment”. However, he rued the fact that the construction industry in the state is unorganised and “we are yet to tap its full potential”.
He continued that non-locals are the dominant force in this sector in the state. However, he surmised, they do not have formal training backgrounds which will have a negative impact in the long run. The local people, hence, must be “sensitised to make a living out of it”, he held. Further, he opined that imparting skill development in construction will not only solve employment problem to some extent but will “positively contribute to the socio-economic development” of the state.
It was learned that the extent of the training will be limited to basic construction techniques, knowledge of materials and components of buildings and use of tools. Besides, the programme will be packed with hands-on activities, site visits and lectures with interactive sessions, and the trainees will also be introduced to bamboo technology.
The Managing Director of Kushe Humanity Foundation, Ahikali Swu, informed that KHF was started in 2003 and is keenly involved in humanitarian activities that are focused on human resources development. In this direction, the training programme was realised and is being financed by the Planning department under the ‘Year of capacity Building 2008-09’ as declared by the state government. Besides, KHF is also actively involved in the documentation of Sumi indigenous poetry and folklore, it was learned.
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