Twenty open learning spaces will be set up in rural locations across the State by an NGO, Saurmandala Foundation under the banner of Chief Minister’s Youth Centres.
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.
The learning spaces will be set up with the support from the State government and in partnership with Project DEFY.
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 projects like handmade soaps, foldable tables, transformable gowns and many more were individually conceptualized and prototyped by the youth visiting these Labs.
These centres aim to provide the rural youth with a space to explore their creativity and interest. Each centre will have 3 components in it- an open learning space called Nooks, a computer centre, and a community library. The Nook will be a space equipped with tinkering tools. In these Nooks, the youth from the nearby villages will work on ideas that they believe can solve an issue faced by their community.
The foundation is also seeking applications from the citizens of Meghalaya to join them in setting up the Chief Minister’s Youth Centres across multiple districts and chart a new path forward for youth and entrepreneurship development in the State.
