Hirkani, Pabal Women’s Training and Development Centre

Advancing Knowledge For Healthier Lives

Introduction

The late Dr. Banoo Coyaji always focused on the needs of the community and had a strong vision of empowering women through education, thus enabling them to achieve self-sufficiency and independence. She recognised the need for skill development, especially for women in rural areas, as a means of empowerment, livelihood, financial stability and gender equity. In an attempt to involve adolescent girls in the national health programmes, ICMR and KEMHRC came together in 1988 to initiate the ‘The Young Women’s Health and Development Project’. Under this project, education on health, nutrition and family life was provided to preadolescent and adolescent girls (7-19 years of age) in 128 villages around Pabal in Shirur taluka (about 50 km from Pune), an area with a population of 30,000.

This project led to the establishment of a permanent training centre for women. Dr. Banoo Coyaji conceived it as a place to empower rural women and girls through health and vocational training. In 1989, on behalf of ICMR, KEM Hospital acquired one hectare of land in Pabal village to set up the Training Campus of the Women’s Health and Development Centre. With barely any funds available the KEM Hospital had to utilise both money and space in a manner best suited to a health training centre. Three geodesic domes were built, fabricated by the Vigyan Ashram, Pabal (the Indian Institute of Education centre). Local talent was used to build the entire campus. The Pabal domes became very popular, and a matter of pride for KEM Hospital and the local Pabal community. The Centre was formally inaugurated by Dr. Banoo Coyaji on 9th January 1993.

KEM began its activities with the Yuvati Vikas Kendra, which, with financial assistance from ICMR, conducted the ‘Young Women’s Health and Development Project (1988 – 1992)’ in 11 villages in the vicinity of Pabal. The objectives of the project were health education, personality development, and vocational training for girls between the ages of 7 to 19 years, including school dropouts. While health education helped them take measures to safeguard their own health, personality development enabled them to gain confidence and self-esteem, and develop interest in the benefits of vocational training. An appreciative community applauded as they saw their daughters benefit in many ways, even while there was overall improvement in the quality of life for everyone.

Dr. Banoo Coyaji recognised the potential of a horizontal approach to healthcare, and the Women’s Health and Development Centre helped manifest it. Funded by the JRD and Thelma J Tata Trust, the Centre’s opened to eager anticipation, not only among young girls in the area, but also their families. The Women’s Health and Development Training and Service Programme became an extended activity from 1993 to 2005 with the following objectives:

Objectives

Health education and personality development for women
Introduction to vocational training for girls ranging from pre-puberty, and puberty to youth

The following are some of the major activities and achievements of the project:

Education and Vocational Training: Girls and women were provided with education and training in various vocations, such as bedside attendant’s course, tailoring, embroidery, leather/synthetic bag-making, machine knitting, and bakery. The courses were offered depending on available funds and the interests of participants.
Income Generation Through Self Help Groups (SHGs): The project focused on the formation of Self-Help Groups, which played a vital role in fostering financial independence and solidarity among women. The project facilitated the concept of microfinance through the SHG system, empowering women to generate income and achieve financial stability. Several SHGs were credit-linked with nationalised banks, and the repayment rate was an impressive 100%.
Counselling and Legal Support: Women facing family problems were provided counselling and, when necessary, referred to the ILS Law College in Pune for legal action.
Awareness Generation: The project organised awareness camps for men aged 18-40 on health and social topics, encouraging gender equality and promoting women’s rights.
Kanya Mandals: After completing the courses, girls formed ‘Kanya Mandals’ through which they continue their activities. These groups focused on discussing women’s issues, promoting cleanliness, and undertaking social and environmental initiatives, such as planting trees in villages.
OPD Clinic: The Women’s Health and Development Centre at Pabal established an OPD clinic where patients could receive examination and treatment services.
Goat Rearing: The project provided guidance on goat rearing as a means of generating additional income for the villagers.

Overall, the Women’s Health and Development Project had a significant impact on the lives of thousands of women and girls in Pabal. It empowered them with education, vocational skills, and financial independence, leading to improved socio-economic conditions for the participants and their families. The project’s success was attributed to its focus on sustainability.

YEAR	ACTIVITY
1995	Kisan Nursery by Department of Forestry (Govt. of Maharashtra)
1995 to 2000	Vermicompost
1998	Panchayat Raj by Indian Institute of Education, Pune
1998 to 2000	Goat rearing by Rural Agriculture Institute, Narayangaon (RAIN)
1993 to 2004	Self Help Groups (200)
1995 to 2004	Loans to SHGs through nationalised banks (Canara Bank and Syndicate Bank) over a period of 10 years for goat rearing, cow rearing, and weekly bazaars
1999	Convergent Community Action (CCA) by UNICEF, Training Programme for Pune Swayam Sahayya Samitee, Pune, Zilla Parishad Pune, and Zilla Parishad Latur
2000	BLOOM (Better Life Opportunities Model), a nine-month programme for school-going boys of Bhairavnath Vidya Mandir, Pabal by CEDPA, New Delhi
2002 to 2003	Legal Literacy for SHG women by ILS Law College, Pune

Empowerment through vocational skills for income generation

The aim of all projects and initiatives at Pabal is to improve the lives of women and girls in the area, empowering them with education, skills, and healthcare access while fostering self-reliance and community development.

Empowerment through vocational skills for income generation

The Winds of Change – UDDAYAM

Growing demand for more services following semi-rural development led to changes in the scope and agenda of the community. In June 2009, with financial assistance from Larsen & Toubro Public Charitable Trust, KEMHRC started a Vocational Training Centre at Pabal. The objective of the Women’s Development Training Centre was to empower economically weak rural women and girls at the grass root level. Dr. Mrs. Usha Krishna and Dr. Kurus Coyaji very actively supported this joint venture, helping to bring to life Dr. Banoo J. Coyaji’s dream.

A series of vocational courses was conceived and different domain experts helped create a comprehensive syllabus for each. The Home Nursing course was designed by Nursing unit KEM Hospital, Director Community Medicine and Director Research; Food Processing by Mrs. Shradha Deshpande; Garment Construction Level-1 (tailoring) was designed by the Indian Fashion Academy; and the Electrical Wireman Course by Mr. Bhuvan Damahe, Principal L&T Institute of Technology, and Mr. Ram Deshpande, Secretary L&TPCT.

Course Details

Home Nursing (Bedside Assistant):
Hygiene, First aid, Surgical Nursing, Anatomy, Medical Nursing, Nursing Arts, Nutrition, Midwifery and Family Planning, Paediatric Nursing, Baby Bath and Mother Massage, and Personality Development.

Food Processing and Quantity Cooking:
Food and its Quality, Food Processing, Food Purchase and Preservation, Cleanliness and Safety, Management of Unit, and Personality Development.

Garment Construction Level-1 (Tailoring):
Introduction of Sewing Machine, Measurement Cutting and Stitching of Blouses, Punjabi Dresses, Chudidar with Fashionable Neck Design, Western Top, and Umbrella Skirt.

Electrical Wireman:
docshapegroup132, Grouped objectText Box 77, TextboxIntroduction of Trade, Tools & Equipment, Documentation, Materials, Testing, Safety, Workshop Practice. Wire Termination & Joints, Cable Glanding, Termination Lug and Soldering, Basic Wiring (PVC), Basic Wiring (MS), Basic Wiring (Concealed Type), Termination & Fault Finding in Construction M/c & Fittings, Simple Control Circuit, Making of Earth Pit, Testing of Circuits, Introduction to Trade on Job Site, Revision, and Final Tests & Evaluation.

Pabal Centre Trainee Summary from June 2009 to March 2024

Date: 27.05.2024
(L&T PCT, HSBC, Jagruti & Rotary Club of Poona Down Town projects)

Course	Target	Number of trainees passed out	Number of trainees followed up	Service	Business	Average income PM (Rs)	Percentage %
Bedside Assistant	1,230	1,226	1,223	839	16	5,864	70%
Food Processing	1,830	2,003	2,003	158	579	3,921	37%
Advance Tailoring	2,018	2,294	2,294	60	1,629	2,172	74%
Electrician Trade	410	419	419	143	222	9,700	87%
Beautician	80	49	49	3	31	2426	69%
Aari Work	35	35	35	1	29	4960	81%
Total	5,603	6,026	6,026	1,204	2,506	4,840.00	70%

Micro Health Centre (MHC)

Part of the Women’s Development Training Centre at Pabal, and supported by KEM Hospital, Vadu, this compact healthcare delivery and health research centre helps improves healthcare accessibility for the rural community. The MHC has been developed by the Hewlett Packard Foundation, and set up by the Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (IGIB). It was inaugurated on 14th May 2015 by Dr. Anurag Agarwal, IGIB (Delhi).

Equipped with ultramodern facilities and employing advanced technology, the MHC focuses on respiratory health research. It uses cloud enabled healthcare database management systems to generate high quality data on healthcare delivery for the rural population.

Projects

Happy Mensis (2016-2018)

Menstruation is one of the most basic characteristics of women; however, this important bodily function is often associated with several society-regulated customs, practices and restrictions. It has often been associated with some degree of suffering and embarrassment especially in traditional sections of society. A ‘culture of silence’ has prevailed, resulting from the long- standing taboo attached to menstruation and menstrual hygiene practices in India.

In 2016, Dr. V. N. Rao’s family took the initiative to fund the ‘Happy Mensis’ study in an effort to provide scientific knowledge regarding practices of menstruation and menstrual hygiene to girls and women of a rural community in Pune. Menstrual hygiene educators were trained to spread awareness about menstruation. The project also attempted to develop a self-sustainable model for low-cost sanitary napkins and make them available for the underprivileged population in the community. Awareness sessions for 1,800 adolescent girls and 2,300 women were conducted in schools and in the community by project staff through a mutual interaction process; 18 peers from among these were trained and they covered 600 women and girls.

Creating Sustainable Livelihoods for Tribal Youth in Pune Rural District (2017- 2019)

Over the years KEMHRC has collected and documented information on the needs of the population in the Pune Rural District. Data related to the demographics, caste, livelihood and work profile, along with the geographic locations, and environmental and climactic behaviour has revealed the need for poverty alleviation through sustaining livelihoods. In 2017, KEMHRC with funding from HSBC Skills for Life, took the initiative to create sustainable livelihoods for tribal youth. The objective of the project was to create sustainable livelihoods and economic opportunities for youth, and reduce unemployment through specific need- and skill-based vocational training in the rural community; the focus was on empowering economically weak rural women, girls and boys at the grass root level. A six-month long Home Nursing/Bedside Assistant course was run through this project, comprising four months of theory and two months of hospital practical training. A total of 173 tribal girls and women and boys were trained through this programme, and an employability rate of more than 70% was recorded.

Jagruti – Pregnancy Care and Child Development and Community Empowerment Through Skill Development (April 2019- March 2022)

The quality of antenatal, intrapartum and post-natal care can have a tremendous effect on pregnancy outcomes. Indian government policies and programmes aim to provide poor rural and tribal women free access to comprehensive emergency obstetric care to save them from life- threatening complications during childbirth. Despite this, thousands of women continue to die because of malnutrition, complications including haemorrhage, obstructed labour, or hypertensive disorders. In April 2019, KEMHRC, with the support of Dr. Usha Krishnan, started the Jagruti programme. This community-based care model aimed to address holistic pregnancy care in a rural population in the Pabal area, with an emphasis on intervention for high-risk pregnancy. The project also addressed empowerment of women through vocational training programmes. A total of 180 women and girls have been trained till date through various vocational courses and 182 pregnant women have been screened through the clinic at Pabal.

Creating Sustainable Livelihoods and Economic Opportunities for the Community with a Focus on Women and Youth in Rural and Urban Areas of Pune (May 2021 – April 2023)

Vocational education encompasses practical courses that help build employable skills and provide experi ence that is directly linked to a future career. In May 2021, with funding from Chemital Industries CSR, through the Rotary Club of Poona Downtown, a study was initiated focusing on creating sustainable livelihoods and economic opportunities for the community with a focus on women and youth. The objectives of the study were:

To provide vocational training (through the Home Nursing/Bedside Assistant course) for underprivileged women and girls from rural areas as well as slums in Pune City.
To create opportunities for income generation and economic empowerment.

With continued funding from the Rotary Club of Poona Downtown, the course has seen participation from over 500 students till date, with 80-85% employability.

Hirkani – Women’s Development Training Centre, Pabal

In February 2024, the Women’s Development Training Centre in Pabal was renamed ‘Hirkani’ in recognition of the stellar work being done there.

Benefactors

Several people and organisations have provided financial and other support that have helped bolster the activities of the Pabal Centre:

Trustee Prof. Baba Apte
Prof. Baba Apte founded the Prof. Yamato Kawakami Foundation, supporting education, scholarships, bicycles, hostel facilities, and coaching classes for girls. He also facilitated zero- interest loans to help women start businesses and achieve financial independence.

The Late Dr. V. N. Rao Fund
Established in 2012, this fund supports activities like Rubella vaccination, sewing machine donations, scholarships, computer and spoken English courses, and vocational training related to ready-made garments.

Late Dr. Sarah Rao Educational Fund
Established in 2005, this fund empowers girls pursuing science education through scholarships and skill development. It also funded a multipurpose hall for community activities.

The Way Forward

The success of Pabal’s Women’s Development Training Centre rests with its people. The community as a whole, including the teachers, and the families of the girls and women participating in the training programmes, helped change a drought-prone, barren landscape into a lively, active community hub. Students used their newfound skills, including tailoring, embroidery, leather/synthetic bag making, machine knitting and bakery, to create products in the newly established vocational training cum production unit. New courses were introduced each year and activities extended to cover 18 villages. Over 55,000 girls and women have been trained over the years and now lead productive lives. While the initial focus was on women, skill building for livelihood has now also been extended to young males. Training includes employable and employment worthy skills like home nursing, garment construction, food processing, and electrical trade. New need-based skills are being explored for future inclusion.

The success of the Pabal model is also a tribute to the many people who came forward to help realise Dr. Banoo Coyaji’s dream, including Dr. Kurus Coyaji, Dr Farokh Wadia, Commander Rao, Dr. N. H. Kulkarni, and Mr. A. D. Gadkari. Today, Pabal continues its activities to empower the rural population, bringing hope and a better quality of life for thousands of families in the area.