In the course of its engagement with rural communities, the Chief Minister’s Youth Centres (CMYC) have encountered a multitude of highly skilled individuals eager to find suitable platforms and opportunities to both refine and showcase their talents.
The youth centres, far from being limited to individual learners, actively foster group learning processes and collaborative approaches too. Within the exemplary narratives of resilience and peer-to-peer knowledge exchange emerging from the CMYC Project, the inspiring story of the women of Babadam, a secluded village in the West Garo Hills, stands out.
In the Nook at Babadam CMYC, West Garo Hills, a collective of women from local self-help groups (SHGs), including Tangkam, coalesced to embark on a transformative project. This dedicated team, consisting of six women aged between 19 and 24, was introduced to the art of plastic bag crafting by Agnesh A Sangma, a woman with a distinct mission.
Agnesh, the elder sister of the Babadam Centre’s librarian, already proficient in the craft, initiated the women of the SHG groups into the realm of plastic bag making. These women not only sought guidance from online resources such as YouTube to master their craft but also assumed roles as both teachers and motivators for one another, highlighting the pivotal role of collective determination in their journey.
Commencing their project with modest yet cohesive initiatives, they learned the intricacies of crafting bags from plastic wires, showcasing an unwavering dedication to the process of learning and creating. Some of them are also mothers to school going children.
“Since none of us are employed we want to explore new projects within the center and turn it into a business to support our families financially” Agnesh Sangma said. The team had performed considerably well in the recent Babadam CMYC Exhibition earlier in September. Their products were almost sold out in that 3 hour display, earning praises and compliments from their newly found customers. Their products were also well received at the Wangala Festival celebration at Baljek Airport. The team is now well equipped in making these amazing baskets on a regular basis.
The story of the women of Babadam embodies the core principles of empowerment and collaborative learning approaches advocated by the Chief Minister’s Youth Centres project. Stemming from the collective needs and inclinations of these women, their journey serves as a powerful illustration of the profound transformation that can be achieved by providing suitable platforms for skilled individuals often marginalized within rural communities.
