The Challenge
A Brief Background – Why Build Tech Education Infrastructure in Villages?
Most rural areas in India, like Meghalaya, are not easily accessible, face difficult terrain and sparse population which needs flexible alternatives to expensive infrastructure investment. Villages are plagued by issues like lack of access, equity, facilities, and eventually learning outcomes. Performance of the State is often perceived to be linked to the geographical area as it has a bearing on several logistical, administrative and other issues. Over time, these factors lead to a distinct rural-urban divide among the students, putting the rural students on a backfoot with little or no exposure. Rural areas are generally known to have high dropout rates as well.
The Smart Village Solution
Use technology and collaborative Open-Innovation to bring education resources and knowledge to villagers to empower students and community.
Project: Salesforce Trailblazer Labs with Curiosity Gym
CREATING COMMUNITY-LED AND COMMUNITY-RUN TECHNOLOGICAL INFRASTRUCTURE TO MAKE EDUCATION ACCESSIBLE AND INTERESTING.
SVM-Salesforce Trailblazer Labs in collaboration with Curiosity Gym aims to bring all levels of education closer to the people who had no prior access. The community learning centers are a multipurpose, one-stop solution to students from all grades and complement the school education system.
SVM seeks to enable children and youth to gain access to world-class technology information and training, and bring artisans, farmers and entrepreneurs to digital platforms to gain knowledge and where they can market directly to a national and global audience.
Project data
Entrepreneurs in Sohrarim and Laskien have begun mobilisation events along with conducting field studies to thoroughly understand the on-ground needs and design an operational plan that is suitable to individual locations.
THE INFRASTRUCTURE
For this pilot project, two villages offered their community halls at no cost to SVM. We made upgrades, installed solar panels in collaboration with Hygge, and brought in internet connectivity and tech resources and devices. Our clean-energy learning centers equipped with technology education resources shall help students engage in their academic journey and equip youth with global technology training. Co-innovation at its finest!
THE LOCATION
The SVM team conducted field assessment along with inputs from community leaders and the State government before finalising the two locations for the learning centres.
The two pilot locations finalised were Sunei Village, Mawphlang C&RD Block and Sohrarim, Khatarshnong Laitkroh C&RD Block, with a population of 657 and 600 respectively.
ROLE IN THE COMMUNITY
SVM-Salesforce will act as a marketing and technology partner to Self Help Groups and Farmer Groups, enabling them to showcase their produce to a national buyer base.
Technology With No Boundaries
Impact
5 JOBS HAVE BEEN CREATED
REMODELLING WORK AND UPGRADES OF INFRASTRUCTURE CREATED EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES IN THE VILLAGE
SUNEI IN THE MAWPHLANG C&RD BLOCK IS THE FIRST VILLAGE IN THE STATE OF MEGHALAYA TO BE COVERED UNDER THE BHARAT NET SCHEME, A GOVERNMENT OF INDIA (GOI) INITIATIVE TO GET BROADBAND CONNECTIVITY TO GRAM PANCHAYATS
600-650 STUDENTS TO BE DIRECTLY BENEFITED FROM THE TWO VILLAGES, AROUND 1,000 TO BE INDIRECTLY BENEFITED FROM THE ADJACENT VILLAGES
Next Up for the Community
As SVM reach and impact grows, we plan to add more such learning hubs throughout Meghalaya and the rest of India to enable learners of every age access world-class tech education.
The SVM Platform
The SVM-Berkeley curated open innovation platform builds an Open Innovation ecosystem that connects the villager’s challenges to corporates, academic research, and state governments.
We help leverage shared capital and operational resources with co-innovation and collaborative engagements bringing optimum solutions to rural challenges.
Our Vision
A shift to high-quality agriculture practices for remote rural areas in Meghalaya and one day all over India & the world.
Contribute & Participate
Corporates, non-profit organizations or volunteers interested in partnering with SVM, please Contact us to learn more about our work and how you can participate.
Please visit our SVM platform and sign up to know more details on all of our projects.
The rural world needs your support. Please consider contributing through our donation page or Global Giving
Empower the rural world.