The Home Economics Unit, therefore works towards the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8 & 12.
Training on Quality Control of Food Products
The Home Economics Unit also offers specialised services namely the: -
-
Agricultural Women’s Club (AWCs)
The objective of these clubs is to promote agricultural activities among women as well as to enhance healthy eating, food security as well as income generating activities. 25 AWCs are functional over the island.
-
Weight Management Clubs
These clubs aim at providing dietary advice to overweight and/or obese women on the management of their body weights. Emphasis is also laid on the regular practice of physical exercise. The objective is to combat non – communicable diseases such as diabetes, hypertension and hyper cholesterol caused by poor eating habits and wrong lifestyles. These clubs are usually coupled with training on ‘healthy lifestyle’.
-
Promotion of business start-ups.
The Unit also manages a Production Centre cum Sales Outlet located at Plaine des Papayes (within the compound of the Social Welfare Centre). The aim of the above specialised centre is to empower vulnerable women and their families economically and to help them become financial independent. This centre was set up in March 2011 as a specialized project under the “Special Collaborative Programme for Support to Women and Children in Distress”.
The objectives of the Plaine des Papayes Production Centre cum Sales Outlet are to: -
-
offer specialised training for the setting up of income generating activities in the agro sector,
-
acquaint potential women agro processors with semi – industrial processing equipment,
-
enable latter target group to validate their products ideas,
-
guide the entrepreneurs in the setting up their enterprises,&
-
offer a sales outlet to market their products
Hence the services/facilities offered include training, production on a semi – industrial scale, on site exhibition and sales of products, counselling, &networking as well as exchange programmes.
More than 1000 women have been trained and about 25% have successfully started income generating activities.