The Sauramandala Foundation, with support from United Way Hyderabad, announced today that they have awarded “nano-grants” to six small businesses that have emerged from the Trailblazer Community Labs in Meghalaya.
The grants, totalling Rs 2 lakh, are aimed at supporting the entrepreneurial journeys of these individuals and groups.
The occasion was celebrated at the PRIME Hub in Shillong where members from various teams, including Sauramanadala Foundation, PRIME Meghalaya, PRIME-Sauramandala Rural Entrepreneurship Fellowship, Chief Minister’s Youth Centres (CMYCs), Trailblazer Community Labs and invited community members came together.
The Trailblazer Community Labs are pilot centres of the CMYCs. Because of the success of these two centres, 20 CMYCs are to be created.
The entrepreneurs who received today’s small grants are Banteilang Nongrum (for woodworking), Preety Nongrum (jewellery), Daphilasiewdor Mawlong, Daplin Khongsit and Kelty Syiemiong (all baking), Nialty Rani and Raplin Sawkmie (both jam making), Sharilis Sawkmie (Amigurumi knitting) and Dimery Sawkmie and Kminrila Rani (both crochet).
As part of the event, the entrepreneurs had the opportunity to showcase their products at the PRIME Hub Shillong. This platform provided them with exposure and the chance to connect with potential customers and investors, a press release stated.
“These nano-grants will go a long way to help people like us in helping us stand on our own feet,” said Banteilang Nongrum, a learner-turned-entrepreneur from Sohrarim.
Daplin Khongsit, a promising baker from Nongwah, also spoke at the award ceremony, “To be honest, we never expected to be awarded these nano-grants. For most of us, we only want to come to the nook because of our interests in the self-designed learning systems and the various cycles that it entails.”
The nano-grants programme, developed by the Sauramandala Foundation in partnership with United Way Hyderabad, is aimed at creating a supportive environment for learners at the Trailblazer Community Labs and CMYCs who are interested in entrepreneurship.
The programme offers early-stage support to nurture the talent of these budding entrepreneurs, help them make informed decisions and introduce them to the broader entrepreneurial ecosystem in their region.
“We are thrilled to see the progress of the entrepreneurs who received the nano-grants,” said Fidei B Nongrum, program manager at Sauramandala Foundation. “We believe that entrepreneurship is a key driver of economic growth and job creation and we are committed to supporting these individuals in their journey towards building successful businesses.”
The lack of support for aspiring entrepreneurs, especially in the final stages of realising their dreams, is a common challenge, the press release added, and this programme is aimed at addressing this.
