Our state is basically an agricultural state and capitalizing more on agro-based economy. More than 75% of the people of the state live in villages depending on agriculture for livelihood based on land. Though good number of Industrial Training Centres have been established in different parts of the state with industrial trades like Fitter, Turner, Welder, Electrician, Wireman etc, institutions/Industrial Training Centers imparting non-industrial training in the areas like Agriculture, Horticulture, Sericulture, Pisciculture, Apiculture, Livestock Farming Technology, Floriculture and Landscaping, Vegetable production etc., are rarely found in a state like Orissa. The absence of such non-industrial and agro-allied based training institutes in the state has become counter-productive towards economic growth resulting in huge-scale losses in agriculture and allied sectors every year and growing unemployment for the youth opting for these sectors for their livelihood.
HDF-GRAMIN ITC has, therefore, taken a pioneering step to train large number of youth to meet the human resource requirements of all these sectors. To start with, HDF-GRAMIN ITC is focusing on agriculture, horticulture, floriculture, livestock management etc. This will provide the youth enormous opportunity for wage employment / self employment which will eventually help them earn a dignified sustainable livelihood.
The Foundation
HDF is a not for profit organization mooted by a group of young professionals with strong commitment to build human capital and work for vigorous programmatic interventions for all round and inclusive development of Orissa. It has two wings The Academic Programme Wing offers quality education at affordable cost on Management Studies, Development Studies, Social Sciences and Skill Development. To start with, HDF has established with AICTE recognition, a School of Management. Admissions for July 2010 in Post-Graduate Diploma in Rural Management is already announced. Few other programmes are in the pipe line. The Wing also undertakes short term trainings or Management Development Programmes on various aspects as well as consultancies and research projects on diverse issues of both development and management.
The Development Action and Research Wing (cDAR) focuses on policy research and programmatic intervention in the areas of Education, Health, Livelihood, Skill Development and Governance. The strategy of cDAR includes field study, implementation of innovative pilot projects, monitoring the outcome of development projects and advocacy for realignment of policies and effective implementation. We have signed MOUs with a few reputed NGOs and have developed a network with selected ones involved in human development issues so as to broad-base our information gathering and enhance our capabilities for field work. HDF has instituted a standing forum named ‘Odisha Bikash’, in order to involve a wide cross section of intelligentsia and social action groups for consultations on development issues that could be translated into action.
The human condition and its evolution has been a matter subject to great intellectual effort through out human history.In the broader context of India and in particular the impoverished and under-developed eastern India, one is constantly confronted with the question of minimum human development for the vast majority of its inhabitants. A region with Orissa at its center that has been blessed with immense natural resources in the form of minerals, fertile land, plentiful rain, vast coastline has no valid excuse for its globally known material poverty.
The Human Development Foundation (HDF) has come into being with the strong desire to search for answers to this complex paradox and provide practically feasible solutions.
