In the states of Assam and Meghalaya, many people live below the poverty line and are mainly dependent on agriculture, which is inadequate due to insufficient land and crop failures caused by climate change. Many young people therefore migrate to cities or abroad, where they often end up in precarious jobs. State educational institutions are mostly in cities, which is difficult for the rural population to access, and school dropouts have little chance of getting a good education.
This is where Childaid Network comes in by setting up decentralized vocational training centers in Meghalaya and Assam. These centers offer counseling, vocational qualifications in areas such as electrical repair, fashion design, beauty & wellness and management & marketing, as well as life skills, including digital skills, banking skills and English . So far, 4,800 graduates and 6,000 women from self-help groups have received start-up support in the form of training, mentoring and seed capital. Several hundred graduates have already been able to significantly increase their income.
In addition, community meetings are organized to provide information about the programme and mobilize young people. The project also works with government and financial institutions to create a more start-up-friendly environment and improve access to credit through a revolving fund.
