Itanagar, Oct 26: The Khonsa Battalion of Assam Rifles has launched a skill-based initiative to empower women of the Ollo tribe in Arunachal Pradesh’s Tirap district, under Operation Sadbhavana.
As part of the effort, the Assam Rifles on Saturday distributed sewing machines to women of the Ollo community in Lazu village to help them achieve financial self-reliance, an official report said on Sunday.
The initiative is designed to encourage skill development and provide them with the tools needed to start sustainable livelihood generation.
The sewing machines will allow the women to earn a steady income through tailoring and cottage industries, thereby supporting their families and also boosting the local economy, the report said.
Assam Rifles has said that the initiative is a commitment to fostering peace, development, and inclusive growth in insurgency-affected Tirap, one of the three insurgency-hit districts of Arunachal Pradesh and a continuation of its bid to strengthen the trust of local communities.
The event was attended by high-ranking Assam Rifles officials, chiefs and gaon buras (village head) and police officers of Lazu Police Station.
The Ollo tribe inhabits the Lazu circle and are organised by clan-based systems with a hereditary chieftaincy system. The former headhunting tribe is known for their facial tattoos.
According to the 2011 Census, the total population of the Ollo tribe is just over 1500.(PTI)
