Needs assessment for income generation training of youths in leprosy families of a leprosy village in Myanmar

Abstract

After Myanmar eliminated leprosy in 2003, the prevention of disability (POD), as well as prevention of worsening disabilities (POWD) and rehabilitation became a new agenda, which is one of three national strategies of leprosy control beyond 2005. Since the training needs for income generation for youths living in leprosy villages were not well known, a small-scale survey was conducted in May 2005. This study found that the youths in Mayanchaung village, Yangon Division, were eager to receive training on income generation. After training they wanted to practice and improve their skills with the resources available, because they perceived that a short training course would not enable them to get a proper job. Although they were fully aware of income generation skills, they found it difficult to adequately consider issues such as resources for practicing skills after training, social marketing, and seeking job opportunities. They also felt that mediators could be helpful between villagers and external customers / retailers. On the other hand, the elders, most of whom had disabilities, wanted the youths to stay in the village to take care of them. A basic sewing and stitching training course that was planned to match the study results was produced in January 2006. After 11 months it was observed that a newly opened sewing workshop was busy operating 12 sewing machines because of a big order of making primary school uniforms. How effective the needs assessment was still unknown, but it was found that prior need assessment activities followed by a training course upon the real needs might promote the proper processes of social rehabilitation of youths in a leprosy village of Myanmar.