State-Level Staff Orientation for WE-LivE Project Held in Kochi

On July 4th, a State-level meeting and staff orientation program for the WE-LivE project Kerala was held at the Don Bosco, Vaduthala, Kochi. The WE-LivE project, currently in its third phase is an initiative of BREADS Bangalore supported by Don Bosco JuWe Switzerland. This phase of the project aims to empower 3000 women from economically backward areas by equipping them with Entrepreneurial Skills and Kitchen Gardens, fostering financial independence, and promoting sustainable livelihoods.

The program commenced with a prayer, followed by a round of introduction among the staff and project Directors, fostering a sense of collaboration and shared purpose. A keynote session was led by Dr. Ashna P. A., Managing Director of Futureace Hospital, Kochi. She offered valuable insights on identifying and mobilizing potential women entrepreneurs and emphasized the role of project coordinators as resilient and visionary leaders in overcoming challenges. Dr. Ashna began with her own journey over the past 3 decades which captured the attention of all the participants and how she came out of the routine style of an employee in a reputed institution to a successful entrepreneur, overcoming multiple hurdles including COVID-19. Dr. continues to inspire many women of the present day through her motivational talks coming out of her deep convictions.

Following this, Fr. George PS., Executive Director of BREADS Bangalore, carried out an interactive session with the participants centred around the theme ‘How a WeLive staff can be an effective social worker’ under this project. Highlighting the Organization’s mission to uplift marginalized communities more especially women, he emphasized the importance of staff becoming ‘agents of change’, aligned with the project’s broader theory of change framework. The final session was conducted by Mr. Benny Augustin, Project Manager at BREADS, who provided practical guidance on project implementation strategies. He detailed effective approaches for engaging women across the five project locations in Kerala, ensuring grassroot level impact and long-term success.

This one day training programme marked a significant step towards building a dedicated and well-prepared team committed to advancing the third phase of the WeLivE project and transforming lives o9f the women through empowerment.