Kudumbashree's international partnership with Azerbaijan is making fruitful results. During 2017, Azerbaijan Rural Investment Project (AZRIP) team visited India to study various models of livelihood promotion for women groups as they wanted to start a pilot project of ‘women’s activity group formation’ for inclusive economic empowerment. After ascertaining that the ‘Kudumbashree model’ of livelihood promotion and women empowerment has the larger scope of convergence in their country, they invited Kudumbashree Mission to Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan Rural Investment Project (AZRIP) is a world bank supported project being implemented in Azerbaijan from 2005 (in various phases). The project aims at developing the basic infrastructure in the rural areas. Further project envisages development of economic activities and livelihood programmes.
Shri. Sebastian Molineus, Regional Director, World Bank had shared a note through his twitter handle after visiting Massaly of Azerbaijan which itself could be considered a measure of the success of the project. (Twitter Post)
During 2018, a four member team from Kudumbashree went to Azerbaijan for the initial scoping study and to provide a 10 day training. Kudumbashree aimed at training the master trainees of AZRIP project, who in turn will train the interested women entrepreneurs of Azerbaijan. Kudumbashree's team visited different places in Azerbaijan including Separadi in Massaly, Chakrili in Lankaran and Gysa in Balakan and understood the field reality and needs and framed the training as per requirement. The master trainee team were given classes on ‘Kudumbashree Model’, Neighbourhood groups, activity groups, livelihood promotion methods and on women empowerment activities. 16 people including the community mobilisers of AZRIP project and livelihood specialists took part in the workshop as master trainees. During the time of initial training itself, 56 women came forward to form 4 Activity Groups. As of now, with the participation of 468 women, 38 enterprise units had already been started in Massaly of Azerbaijan. They are coordinating more than 100 business projects. The success of this project, which is being implemented with the support of World Bank is also the success of the international interventions of Kudumbashree.
It is a moment of pride for Kudumbashree that our team is capable of framing a training programme at any place in the world after assessing the country’s requirements and are able to provide the required assistance/ support/ knowledge to ensure continuity and growth. The Azerbaijan Rural Women's Association’ is the network of ‘Women Development and Enterprise Groups’ in the country. When they bagged an award from Government of Azerbaijan for their activities, Kudumbashree's contribution was also mentioned.
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