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OCTOBER 2011 MIHISARA .

Savisthri conducted a training workshop on developing leadership skills



Savisthri conducted a training workshop on developing leadership skills for District members on 27th – 28th May 2012 at Sarvodaya Training Centre, Bandaragama.

The objective of the training is to view Savisthiri member’s consideration & suggestion in new development projects in the reorganized Savisthri structure and to enhance their leadership skills to identify their roles at national and district level.

Five participants from each district comprising of the Hon. President, Hon. Secretary and Hon. Treasurer of District women’s collectives and two others who are active with Savisthri Programmers participated in the leadership training workshop. 

The training method included collective exercise, guided discussion and open brainstorming sessions. Participants get to know each other and the existing situation of the target population in each District. Macro pictures covering social, economic, political and cultural aspects were discussed & analyzed by participants with guidance from resource person. The problem faced by people in the respective areas was discussed and the causes and effects of those problems identified. The session is to understand the way of determining how the power should be vested with and to empower the participant’s knowledge and enable them to understand the existing domination structure in target population where the poor, marginalized, vulnerable are excluded from communities based on class, ethnicity, gender & caste.  

A gap analysis of the existing situation and expected situation was discussed on the second day. Development is the right of the people and they have the right to participate in designing development projects with special emphasis on women. It is the responsibility of the people to actively participate in development project activities to contribute towards a change in society.  The activities for expected situation were analyzed with present activities and how it will contribute towards Savisthri’s vision & mission. It was observed that the present activities contributed more towards economic development than social and there was consensus among participants that Savisthri need to focus on activities on social development.

A group session to develop future action plan was discussed by member on following matters,
To include new villages and new members in the projects.
Strengthen & organize the small groups, mini society and district women 
collectives
Expand activities in education, manufacturing, service oriented to promote 
Savisthri Vision. 
Challenges…and difficulties.
Each District group will develop their future plans and send it to National office in the first week of July.  

Further, the workshop covered sessions on leadership and its qualities such as knowledge, skills and attitude etc, Savisthri Vision and mission, identify & select quality leaders in mini societies, small groups and district women collectives that they are dedicated to their respective community contributing to Savisthri vision and mission. 

 Finally an evaluation was held among participants. We found the workshop was useful and the participants were able to understand the responsibility of Savisthri members. Many are applying the lessons learnt during training workshop in the field sites.