Latest news with #Rural
Irish Independent
3 days ago
- Business
- Irish Independent
One Wicklow town centre's long-awaited renewal design due within weeks
Wicklow County Council was initially awarded €3.5 million in 2019 under the Rural Development Fund (RDF). The works will include the re-allocation of road space, enhanced lighting, tree planting and landscaping as well as associated drainage works. In an update to the June meeting of Wicklow County Council director of services Fergal Keogh said further discussions are currently taking place with the design consultants, with the aim of finalising the documents for tender. 'Following Department sanction it is the intention to go to procurement, and that will obviously take its statutory time. But it is moving ahead quite strongly at the moment.' Cllr Pat Mahon stressed the importance of having a firm timeline, claiming the project is just being kicked down the road. 'We seemingly can never pin down a date for anything to start or anything to happen on this. So if we could get some kind of a guideline on timelines for that as well.' In response chief executive Emer O'Gorman vowed to get a response adding; 'I will get town regeneration officer Stephen Clarke to contact all the members with a programme timeline on that.'
Scoop
5 days ago
- Health
- Scoop
Call For More Rural Psychologists To Help Farmers With Mental Health
While many farmers are feeling good about record meat and dairy prices, mental health is still a massive issue with disproportionately high suicide statistics in rural areas. Depression is something Federated Farmers president Wayne Langford is familiar with, after his own battle began eight years ago. "It's amazing how it creeps in. It affects your farm, your family and your entire life. "I describe it creeping in like a fog - all of a sudden you find yourself in a bit of a mess and you need help to get out," he said. Langford is grateful for the support his wife wrapped around him, and urges other farmers in his situation to reach out. "The key for me was getting off farm, spending time with kids and family," he said. The sector is welcoming a $3 million funding boost for the Rural Support Trust over four years to improve access to mental health services, but it's sparked calls for more clinical psychologists in rural areas. Clinical psychologist Sarah Donaldson told RNZ that through her work with the Trust she sees high demand from the farming sector. "Our largest proportion for referrals is distress - from mild through to acutely suicidal. "There are greater risk factors in the rural sector unfortunately - huge workloads, isolation, work and home are all wrapped up in one bundle and there's lots riding on it," she said. The Rural Support Trust helps farmers access the help they need, which Donaldson describes as a 'lifesaving' service. But she's worried about a shortage of specialists in rural areas, such as clinical psychologists. "We need more people that have some clinical training that can be attached to rural support or do outreach services. "There are people scattered around the country but there's no specific channel to train in rural mental health currently," she said. Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey assured RNZ that the government is working on a workforce plan in a bid to reduce wait times for patients needing mental health services, which he said will also have an impact in rural communities. "But let's be very clear, one of the biggest barriers to people accessing timely mental health and addiction support is too many workforce vacancies," said Doocey. He said a key factor is the lack of clinical internship placements. "Sadly, only up to a couple years ago there was only 30 clinical internship places a year. We've committed to doubling that, growing it by 100 percent to up to 80 placements by 2027," said Doocey. The new funding for the Rural Support Trust is on top of another $3 million over the next four years allocated through the Ministry for Primary Industries, and $2 million of health funding is being invested in the Rural Wellbeing Fund. Rural Support Trust chair Michelle Ruddell said the farming sector has been calling for this for years. "We are immensely grateful for the funding and it means our rural people will be better supported. "We are going to be able to deliver our core work - it's one on one, free, impartial and at a time and place that suits them," she said. Ruddell describes the demand for their services as "huge" and said a key part of the work is getting farmers to speak up when they need help. "Looking after our mental health is really hard and it often gets left behind - our rural people not only struggle to ask for help on a day to day basis, but actually don't often ask for help very often for their own wellbeing," she said. It's a challenge the group is up for, they're determined to reach more farmers in every nook and cranny of Aotearoa.
Entrepreneur
6 days ago
- Business
- Entrepreneur
SarvaGram Raises INR 565 Crore in Series D; Doubles Valuation to INR 1,785 Crore
SarvaGram's board approved the issuance of 21,857 Series D compulsorily convertible preference shares (CCPS) and 20 equity shares at INR 2,51,431.22 per share in November 2023 You're reading Entrepreneur India, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media. Rural-focused credit startup SarvaGram has raised INR 565 crore (approximately $67 million) in its Series D funding round, led by Peak XV Partners with participation from existing investors Elevation Capital, Elevar Equity, Temasek, and TVS Capital. While the company announced the round publicly, regulatory filings accessed by Entrackr revealed the detailed structure, shareholding changes, and valuation impact of the investment. According to documents filed with the Registrar of Companies, SarvaGram's board approved the issuance of 21,857 Series D compulsorily convertible preference shares (CCPS) and 20 equity shares at INR 2,51,431.22 per share in November 2023. This allotment accounted for INR 550 crore of the round, with a prior infusion of INR 15 crore bringing the total to INR 565 crore. Peak XV Partners led the round with an investment of INR 340 crore ($40.3 million). Existing backers followed suit—Elevation Capital put in INR 80.76 crore ($9.58 million), Elevar Equity contributed INR 68 crore ($8 million), while Temasek and TVS Capital invested INR 45.48 crore ($5.4 million) and INR 30.78 crore ($3.6 million) respectively. The funding has significantly boosted SarvaGram's valuation, which now stands at INR 1,785 crore ($212 million)—more than double its INR 790 crore ($94 million) valuation at the time of its $35 million Series C round. Founded in 2019 by Utpal Isser and Sameer Mishra, SarvaGram focuses on delivering tailored credit and financial services to rural households, including business, farm, personal, home, and gold loans. The company also offers farm mechanization and insurance through its SarvaMitra network, which spans over 38,000 villages, supporting more than 1.5 lakh households and over 170 retail outlets. Data from TheKredible shows SarvaGram has raised over $116 million across multiple rounds. Post-Series D, Elevar Equity remains the largest external shareholder with a 23.78 per cent stake, followed by Peak XV Partners (19.05 per cent) and Elevation Capital (18.40 per cent). Co-founders Isser and Mishra continue to hold 11.00 per cent and 7.05 per cent, respectively. Financially, the Pune-based fintech reported a 2.3x growth in operating revenue to INR 170 crore for the year ending March 2024. Losses narrowed by 30 per cent year-on-year to INR 19.75 crore. SarvaGram faces competition from agri-fintech startups such as Jai Kisan, which last raised $50 million, and which secured $30 million in debt funding earlier this year.
The Star
11-06-2025
- Business
- The Star
M'sia is first in Asean to offer TVET accreditation
Future readiness: Ahmad Zahid speaking during a press conference at the Asean TVET Council 4th Regional Policy Dialogue. — Bernama MELAKA: Malaysia has become the first Asean country to offer accreditation recognition for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), marking a major step forward in harmonising skills certification across member nations, says Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi. The Deputy Prime Minister said the initiative was agreed upon during a meeting with ministers and senior officials from the region, aimed at aligning and coordinating accreditation standards. 'We have held meetings with ministers and senior officials from all Asean member states to ensure that accreditation for the TVET industry can be standardised and we have reached a consensus. 'Malaysia will take the lead as the first nation to offer this form of accreditation for acceptance throughout Asean,' he told a press conference at the Asean TVET Council 4th Regional Policy Dialogue yesterday. Ahmad Zahid said the government is currently aligning TVET courses with the evolving needs of industry players to ensure their continued relevance and to make them a preferred option for students pursuing higher education. 'We hope this will continue to shift the mindset of parents, who previously regarded TVET courses as a last resort for their children,' he said. Earlier in his speech, Ahmad Zahid, who is also the Rural and Regional Development Minister touched on the need for Asean to bridge the skills gap by promoting industry-driven, demand-based training programmes. He emphasised the importance of shaping a regional talent pipeline aligned with the needs of factories, plantations and emerging green industries. To achieve this, he said, industries must co-develop training modules, share apprenticeship opportunities and open up cross-border job prospects. 'We must also develop TVET as a comprehensive ecosystem by aligning education, industry, infrastructure, certification and digital access, all guided by data,' he said. As Asean Chair this year, Ahmad Zahid reiterated Malaysia's readiness to coordinate and lead the way. 'We propose the formalisation of Malaysia as the Asean TVET certification and excellence hub. We look forward to the full support of all member states in making this a shared regional legacy,' he said. He added that TVET is no longer peripheral but is central to national economic strategies. 'In this global race for relevance, skills are the new currency. Malaysia is not only championing skills development but also laying the foundation for Asean to emerge as a TVET powerhouse. 'Let us work together to ensure TVET remains accessible, relevant and future-proof for all. Let us commit to building an Asean where no talent is left untapped and no community left behind,' he said. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim will officiate the National TVET Day 2025 celebration today.
New Indian Express
11-06-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Restrict foresters' entry into tribal villages: MLAs
HYDERABAD: Congress MLAs belonging to Scheduled Tribe communities, including Panchayat Raj and Rural Development Minister Danasari Anasuya alias Seethakka, on Tuesday passed a resolution urging the government to initiate measures to restrict the entry of forest officials into tribal villages and farmlands without permission from grama sabhas. Seethakka chaired a meeting of MLAs representing tribal constituencies at Sankshema Bhavan in Masab Tank. During the meeting, the MLAs brought to the notice of minister the problems being faced by tribals. They expressed displeasure over monopoly of forest officials in forest areas and violating PESA Acts.
