Skill-based trade gets Valpoi youth presidential award

VALPOI: When the mining crisis cost 28-year-old Sadayo Keshav Melekar his job, the Valpoi-based youth found himself staring at an uncertain future. Already burdened with family responsibilities after the death of his father, Sadayo chose to enrol himself for skill-based training instead of relying on his BCom degree for survival.
A prudent decision to join skill-based training in the electrician trade at ITI, Farmagudi, has now brought laurels not only to him but also to the people of Valpoi, as Sadayo will be conferred with a presidential award for securing the first place at the 55th all-India skill competition for craftsmen that was held this July.
Sadayo, who resides in the remote Shel area of Melaulim, said he would often visit nearby villages for study material as his locality has no internet connectivity. He also claimed to be the first Goan to be selected for the presidential award in the electrician trade.
“After the mining ban caused me to lose my job, I tried my luck at many places. I even worked as a hotel receptionist, but could not succeed,” he said, adding that he briefly worked in cashew plantations too.
“Finally, I decided to join a skill-based trade. I secured the first place at ITI, Farmagudi, in 2018 and stood first at the state level. I was then selected for the national-level exam in Chennai, where I surpassed all others in the electrician trade,” Sadayo said.
His mother, Yashoda, who was initially reluctant to let him join ITI due to the family’s financial position, was ecstatic. “Today, my son has set an example for rural youth,” Yashoda said.
The award presentation date is yet to be confirmed.