Staff Reporter
SHILLONG:
A non-governmental organisation (NGO), known for addressing challenges faced by remote and inaccessible communities, plans to set up 20 open learning spaces in rural locations across the state under the banner of Chief Minister’s Youth Centres.
With support from the government and in partnership with Project DEFY, Sauramandala Foundation, will set up these centres to provide the rural youth with a space to explore their creativity and interest.
Each centre will have three components in it – an open learning space called a Nook, a computer centre and a community library. The Nook will be a space equipped with tinkering tools, where the youth from the nearby villages can work on ideas which they believe can solve an issue faced by their community.
The foundation has been working in the rural areas of Meghalaya since 2019, and its main work is to find specific solutions pertaining to the needs of the people.
With support from the Salesforce and Smart Village movement, the foundation set up two pilot open learning spaces called ‘Salesforce Trailblazer Labs’ in Sohrarim and Nongwah villages in 2021 and 2022 respectively. These two centres saw a good influx of youth.
Many innovative items such as handmade soaps, foldable tables, transformable gowns and many more were individually conceptualised and prototyped by the youth visiting these Labs.
Following up on the success of these two centres, Saurmandala Foundation is looking to open more of these learning spaces in rural locations across the state.
Sauramandala Foundation is actively seeking applications from the citizens of Meghalaya to join in setting up the Chief Minister’s Youth Centres across multiple districts and chart a new path forward for youth development and entrepreneurship development in the Meghalaya.