MPOWER workshop spotlights Meghalaya’s youth & Govt collaboration

Adolescents in Meghalaya had the opportunity to interact directly with the Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma during the inaugural session of the three-day ‘MPOWER Contextualisation Workshop’ in Tura yesterday.

Students from both in-school and out-of-school groups candidly shared their aspirations and pressing challenges, including limited subject choices, lack of learning outcomes and the lack of community support for non-academic pursuits.

The CM listened attentively to the students, addressing their concerns and emphasising the importance of activity-based learning. He remarked, “Empowerment begins when a child is conceived,” highlighting the importance of holistic development right from conception. He further stressed the integration of cultural values such as hard work, respect for elders, nationalism, and environmental consciousness into the curriculum.

The CM also called for the inclusion of private schools in such initiatives and promoted the idea of regional, national, and international exchange programs. “Comprehensive documentation of these efforts should serve as a model for other states,” he added.

Organised as part of the Meghalaya Programme for Adolescent Wellbeing, Empowerment and Resilience (MPOWER) under the Planning Department, in collaboration with the Magic Bus India Foundation, the three-day contextualisation workshop that began yesterday in Tura aims to adapt an activity-based curriculum to the cultural nuances of the state’s indigenous community. Inaugurated and launched by the CM, this initiative seeks to equip adolescents in government schools across Meghalaya with Life Skills Education, Career Awareness, and Foundational Literacy and Numeracy programmes. It places adolescents at the core of its strategy.

While delivering his keynote address, the Chief Minister emphasized the government’s commitment to empowering its youth and fostering a purpose-driven governance model. He also shared the government’s recent accomplishments, such as reducing maternal mortality rates by providing vehicles for pregnant mothers in remote areas and utilizing real-time data to guide targeted interventions, under the overarching MOTHER programme. He emphasized how programs like MPOWER align with other state initiatives such as the Early Childhood Development (ECD) Mission and MOTHER programme, to name a few, to ensure the overall well-being of children and adolescents. This initiative is an effort towards a participatory approach to governance, prioritizing youth voices in shaping policies that impact their futures.

Sampath Kumar, Development Commissioner and Principal Secretary, highlighted the significance of investing in three critical windows of opportunity – early childhood development, adolescence, and youth to ensure long-term productivity and well-being. Drawing attention to Meghalaya’s unique demographic profile, where 49 per cent of the population is aged 14 or below, he stressed the need for multi-sectoral collaboration involving government departments, village councils, NGOs, and student unions. He noted that MPOWER’s objective is to build strong foundations for adolescents and create supportive environments where they can live with dignity and achieve self-actualisation.