Workshops that teach young people how to grow oyster mushrooms with minimal investment have been taught over the years. Also, classes on the preparation of vermicompost and natural pesticides and biofertilisers are part of our annual activities.
The Vivek Vani students have access to computers in the library room of the Shiksha Kendra shed, so that they can practice computer typing and other skills when they want to.
Several young people have been trained and supported to start their own small entrepreneurial ventures for self-employment, ranging from home delivery services for senior citizens and car rental services to home beautician services and their own coaching classes.
Many of the mothers of Vivek Vani children want to improve their stitching skills so that they can supplement their income. We facilitate such classes for them, and also try and market the products they make on a small scale, so that they earn a small supplementary sum from such work. The mothers of Vivek Vani students have stitched 150 washable khadi masks for free distribution - and they are making more. The fabric we gave to the mothers for mask-making is thick khadi (homespun) cotton. They are getting paid Rs.10-12 per mask for this labour which is important when all income has stopped due to the pandemic recession. We try to create small jobs in the pandemic recession - mask stitching, mending things, pickle making, cooking. BASICS encourages people to think creatively about how to generate employment in these hard times. We also run a small store at our office where many products are on sale