St. Joseph’s Institute launches culinary program to empower young mothers in India

By LiCAS News

The initiative, developed in partnership with Vihaan Organization, is designed to equip participants with the knowledge and tools necessary to start small-scale baking businesses from their homes, according to a report by Catholic Connect. 

Many of the participants include women who have faced challenges such as unemployment, early school dropout, or the impacts of HIV/AIDS and sexual harassment.

“We are trying to empower women so they can learn a skill for their life. If not immediately, in the future they can start their own small businesses at home, making bakery items,” said Fr. Deepak Joseph, director of the St. Joseph Institute of Skills. 

“We don’t want to leave behind those who are below 50%, those who may not have the academic qualifications but have the potential to build a better future,” the priest added. 

St. Joseph’s Institute, established in 2020-21, has already trained more than 1,100 students, with a focus on individuals from marginalized communities. 

This latest initiative is set to enroll 25 women this year, with the potential for expansion to other locations in the future.

The baking program, while providing practical skills, also offers participants a chance to utilize their free time in a productive way. 

The institute hopes the program will not only help young women support themselves but also give them the confidence to become entrepreneurs in their own right.

St. Joseph’s Institute of Skills (SJIS), operating under the Archdiocesan Board of Education, was founded in 2020 at the St. Joseph’s Educational Institutions campus on Mysore Road, Bengaluru. 

Established by Archbishop Peter Machado, Archbishop of Bangalore, the institute serves as a post-COVID initiative aimed at providing vocational opportunities to semi-educated youths and school dropouts. 

Focused on different areas of Bangalore and extending to the remotest parts of Karnataka, it helps individuals, often from disadvantaged backgrounds, to secure livelihoods and improve their economic circumstances.

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