Sri Lankan Delegation Studies Bihar's Poverty Alleviation Model Under Jeevika Program

A debriefing session was organized by Jeevika, Rural Development Department, Government of Bihar today at the Secretariat Building in Patna. This session was held under the Immersion and Learning Exchange (ILE) program organized with the Ministry of Rural Development, Social Security and Community Empowerment of the Government of Sri Lanka and the delegation of Asian Development Bank.

The session began with a welcome address by Mrs. Abhilasha Kumari Sharma, Additional Chief Executive Officer of Jeevika. Mr. Himanshu Sharma, Chief Executive Officer of Jeevika, gave information about the outline of the program and the objectives of the Sustainable Livelihoods Scheme and the important work being done under it for poverty alleviation in the state of Bihar.

It is noteworthy that a 28-member delegation from Sri Lanka and Asian Development Bank visited Gaya district under the Immersion and Learning Exchange (ILE) program under the Sustainable Livelihoods Scheme run by the Government of Bihar for poverty alleviation. During this, they saw the livelihood initiatives adopted by the beneficiaries under this scheme and gained experience.

Addressing the session, Mrs. H.T.R.N. Ms. Piyasen, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Rural Development, Social Security and Community Empowerment, Government of Sri Lanka shared her experience of implementation of Sustainable Livelihoods Scheme and appreciated its ground level impact. She expressed her gratitude to JEEVIKA for organizing this visit. Ms. Piyasen listed the key features and learnings about SJY which can play a vital role in solving the issue of poverty in Sri Lanka. She also spoke about the similar scheme of Sustainable Livelihoods Scheme run by the Government of Sri Lanka.

During this, Mr. Lokesh Kumar Singh, Secretary, Rural Development Department, Bihar in his address said that the Sustainable Livelihoods Scheme running in Bihar has brought about a change in the lives of millions of poor families. It is a matter of pride for us that a friendly nation like Sri Lanka wishes to understand and learn from this model. We hope that this experience will further strengthen cooperation between the two countries and will also help in eradicating poverty from the global platform.

Thereafter, the session was addressed by Shri Pratyaya Amrit, Development Commissioner, Bihar. Welcoming all the delegation members in his address, he said that Sri Lanka is culturally similar to the state of Bihar. He said that the work done by Jeevika to empower socially and economically marginalized families is remarkable. This model of Jeevika is based on the collective power of women, transparency and participation. This shared experience with the Government of Sri Lanka gives us an opportunity to present local innovations at the global level. He said that community professionals of Sri Lanka can also come to Bihar and see the working style here.

Shri Amrit Lal Meena, Chief Secretary, Bihar, while addressing the representatives of the Government of Sri Lanka, highlighted the journey of the Bihar Government's "Sustainable Livelihood Scheme" launched in 2018 to connect extremely poor families with the path of development, which has benefited 2.1 lakh families in Bihar so far. The success of the main works done in poverty alleviation under this scheme has brought it fame at the national and international level. He informed that recently the government has also formed a cooperative union named 'Jeevika Nidhi' for the financial assistance of women of self-help groups. Recently, the Buddha Samyak Darshan Museum cum Smriti Stupa has also been inaugurated by the Hon'ble Chief Minister in Vaishali, Bihar, which is probably a matter of pride for both the countries.

At the end of this successful session, Mr. Rajesh Kumar, Special Officer, Jeevika, while thanking everyone, said that just as Buddha connects Sri Lanka and India, similarly, through the Sustainable Livelihood Scheme, both the countries will work together in this fight against poverty. People from here can go to Sri Lanka and cooperate in the implementation of such programs and people from Sri Lanka can also come here and learn.

It is worth mentioning that the Immersion and Learning Exchange (ILE) program is being jointly coordinated by Jeevika, BRAC International and Bandhan Konnagar, through which representatives from different countries and other states of India visit the Immersion and Learning Centers to see the work being done under the Sustainable Livelihoods Scheme and learn about poverty alleviation. Under this, emphasis is laid on expanding the process, reach and impact of “Sustainable Livelihoods Scheme (SJY), one of the major schemes of the Bihar Government. So far, under the program, representatives from Indonesia, Philippines, South Africa and Ethiopia have visited Bihar to learn about the Sustainable Livelihoods Scheme and to implement similar programs in their respective countries.