Aide et Action wins e-NE award 2016

***Aide et Action Shillong programme officer Kankana Borah receiving prize***

SHILLONG, MARCH 27:Aide et Action South Asia’s iLEAD (Initiative for Livelihood Education and Development) programme won e-North East Award 2016 in the e-Livelihood and Enterprise Category as part of the sixth edition of e-North East Award Summit held in NEC auditorium, Shillong on February 26.

The iLEAD program that promotes education through livelihood training and enhances livelihood opportunities through education program for youth started its operations in north east in 2009. It has trained more than 3600 youth comprising 50 percent girls, out of which 18 percent started their own enterprises and 56 percent of them are in to organized sector employment.

The program trains youth and school dropouts from the marginalized sections of the society in employable skills.

To celebrate and recognize the best digital practices on IT/CT innovations from North East India, North East Development Foundation (NEDF) and Impulse NGO Network in partnership with Meghalaya Information Technology Society (MITS), Information Technology Department, Government of Meghalaya and North Eastern Council (NEC) jointly collaborated to organize the summit.

Dr Aishwarya Mahajan, regional head for Livelihood Education Programme- Aide et Action says, “iLEAD is also working with 250 relatively less educated youth of 12 villages living on the river side of the embankment in Dibrugarh including 50 % percent women to make them entrepreneurs with the support of Flood and River Erosion Management Agency of Assam (FREMAA) that allocated grant funds from Japan Fund for Poverty Reduction (JFPR) administered by Asian Development Bank (ADB).” Out of which 50 Young Entrepreneurs will be trained and supported by Seed Capital and 10 Group Enterprises supported with loans in Meghalaya from TATA Trusts, he adds.

Aide et Action is also part of Government of Meghalaya (GOM) project on Supporting Human Capital Development in Meghalaya with the support of Asian Development Bank (ADB).

A total of 1,99,249 youths have been trained in iLEAD Programme since 2005 out of which 45% are women and 75% are from marginalized communities and 74% are working in the organised sector employment or have initiated their own or group enterprises.-By Our Reporter