SVM Monthly Newsletter- October 2023

In This Issue

EcoNest: A Remarkable Step Towards Sustainable Tourism in Meghalaya | Solar Dryer Transforms Meghalaya’s Produce Drying Process Locally | SVM Impact Papers published in the UC Berkeley Center of Growth Markets White Paper Series | New Pilot Launched with OSAAT | Launching Two STEM Innovation Hubs in Gujarat: A Gateway to Hands-On Learning | Intern Spotlight: Balakmen Suting |

Dear Friends,

Welcome to the latest edition of our newsletter! In this issue, we share our groundbreaking EcoNest project, revolutionizing sustainable tourism in Meghalaya. In our agriculture sector, discover how a simple solar dryer transforms local fruit-drying processes to enhance the shelf-life of produce and increase returns for our farmers. This is the perfect example of how the Smart Village Movement Triple Helix Model of development brings together Government, Academia, and Companies to create ideal solutions.

At SVM we believe that development is most effective with objective evaluation and human impact research. To that end, our Impact Papers are now published by the UC Berkeley Center of Growth Markets in a White Paper Series to showcase best practices and challenges faced. We also unveil a new education pilot initiative with OSAAT to construct infrastructure for two rural schools in Meghalaya. We hope you enjoy reading about our launch of these exciting initiatives in our Newsletters and the latest SVM Annual Magazine 2023 Edition.

Warm regards,
Smart Village Movement Team India & USA

If you are a company, NGO, or solution provider that would like to participate in pilots, or if your firm’s CSR objectives align with our work in socio-economic development, we’d love to hear from you! Please connect with our Director of Communications: anna@smartvillagemovement.org

Meghalaya, often referred to as the crown jewel of Northeast India, has achieved a remarkable milestone with SVM in pursuing sustainable tourism infrastructure by launching EcoNest– An innovative Eco-tourism cottage. This innovative pilot initiative, brought to life by the Smart Village Movement in Alliance with Berkeley-Haas, in collaboration with the Meghalaya Tourism Department and Shillong Bamboo, showcases a unique blend of technology, entrepreneurship, and natural assets.Read more

Click on the Play Button to watch the video on EcoNest.

Smart Village Movement, in collaboration with UC Berkeley Haas School of Business and the University of California, Davis, has introduced a cost-effective chimney solar dryer in Meghalaya. This innovation addresses the challenges posed by traditional sun drying methods, which are time-consuming and susceptible to weather conditions, and other expensive conventional drying methods.

Our dedication to open innovation, collaboration, and sustainability came in the face of limited solutions. After thorough research, it became evident that drying vegetables and fruits remained a challenge in Meghalaya despite efforts to dry turmeric and ginger by the Department of Horticulture and other agencies. This challenge was presented to our knowledge partner UC Berkeley, and Hannah Lee, a student, identified the Chimney Solar Dryer designed at the University of California, Davis. Then, a local learner-turned-entrepreneur and expert in woodwork, Banteilang Nongrum from the Chief Minister’s Youth Centre in Sohrarim, was identified to build the prototype. Read More…See more

We are delighted to introduce our latest SVM Impact Papers, which have been published in the UC Berkeley Center for Growth Markets White Paper Series.

While implementing pilot projects requires significant effort, the true challenge lies in the comprehensive evaluation and analysis of their impact, ensuring fairness to the local community and the pursuit of optimal solutions to community issues. Our research and impact papers play a crucial role in guiding us through this intricate process.

We extend our heartfelt appreciation to our esteemed partners at UC Berkeley for their profound research expertise. Their collaboration has been instrumental in conducting thorough assessments of our initiatives. Furthermore, we would like to express our gratitude to our dedicated authors and supporters. Their unwavering commitment has been invaluable in bringing these impact papers to fruition.

You can access the Impact Paper through the following link:
https://growthmarkets.berkeley.edu/white-papers/

We had an exciting kickoff of a new education pilot project in Meghalaya last month in collaboration with “One School At A Time” (OSAAT), an organization dedicated to enhancing education infrastructure. This partnership between Smart Village Movement (SVM) and OSAAT signifies a shared commitment to improving the quality of education and infrastructure at Lyngiong LP Government School and Mawngap LP Government School.

A groundbreaking ceremony was held in the school, attended by the School Inspector, Mr. Vadi Founder & Managing Trustee at OSAAT, the education authorities, members of the School Management Committee (SMC), the school principals, teachers, and the SVM team. The ceremony marked the beginning of a transformative initiative that will greatly benefit the school and its students. This collaborative funding effort is one of the key highlights of the initiative; SVM and OSAAT have come together to provide facilitation and support that goes beyond financial contributions.

We are delighted to introduce Balakmen Suting, a student graduating from the University of Science and Technology, Meghalaya (USTM), with a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) degree. Balakmen joined our team at Smart Village Movement as an intern and made significant contributions.

Balakmen’s SVM internship study project is titled “A Study on Out-of-Pocket Expenses of Villagers of East Khasi Hills District, Meghalaya: Influence of Centre Deployment Programme by Smart Village Movement.” This research sheds light on the healthcare expenses of rural communities and the impact of our Healthcare Programme in the region.

In an exciting development for SVM in Gujarat, two STEM Innovation hubs were successfully launched in schools in the Vadodara and Narmada districts promising to open new doors of opportunity and interest in STEM subjects for students. These innovation hubs, established at Shri S.M. Shah Vidyamandir, Savali, (for students in grades 9-12), and Eklavya Model Residential School, Waghodia, (for students in grades 6-12), are poised to revolutionize the way students engage with science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
The establishment of these innovation hubs is a collaborative effort between the Smart Village Movement and Curiosity Gym, aimed at fostering STEM education. To kickstart this initiative, a comprehensive teacher training program was conducted to empower educators with the skills and knowledge needed to conduct experiential-learning-based STEM sessions effectively. The ultimate goal is to align the learning outcomes with the New Education Policy (NEP) and make STEM subjects more accessible and engaging for students. Read More

To learn more about all our projects, please visit our Website or our SVM Annual Magazine and join our SVM Platform

SVM is a not-for-profit society with 80(G) certification and is also registered as a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. The tax-deductible contributions go directly to fund rural development and empowerment of village livelihoods in pilot areas.

What is the SVM Platform?

The Smart Village Movement platform provides a digital platform for Governments, Educational Institutions, Business Organizations, and Village Entrepreneurs to come together in a collaborative effort to find innovative solutions in rural communities and build ‘Smart Villages’.

Please sign up and access our platform engage with our movement and help us with creative & innovative solutions. Together we are all ‘smarter’.

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