By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Jan 8: The World Bank has approved a $35 million project to support over 5 lakh adolescents in Meghalaya by addressing key challenges in education, health and skill development. The initiative titled the Meghalaya Multisectoral Project for Adolescent Wellbeing, Empowerment, and Resilience (MPOWER), aims to reduce school and dropout rates, improve learning outcomes, prepare young people for employment opportunities.
Adolescents make up over more than 24 per cent of Meghalaya’s population, but many face significant barriers to education, mental and physical health. School dropout at the upper primary level is 11 per cent, three times the national average, and 22 per cent at the secondary level, close to double the national average. In addition, substance abuse, early marriage and teenage pregnancy have exacerbated these challenges.
The project is aimed at strengthening learning outcomes for adolescents in grades 6-12, by closing gaps in students’ reading and mathematics skills. To reduce dropout rates, the project will equip students with life skills, mental health awareness and provide guidance on career choices.
Special focus will be on reaching student dropouts and providing them with the same support.
The project is also partnering with the Meghalaya State Skills Development Society, and will impart business skills to budding entrepreneurs and out-of-school adolescents.
Through mentoring programmes, innovative web platforms and community clubs, the project would also work closely with parents and students to create diverse forums for learning. Additionally, the beneficiaries will receive information on sexual reproductive health to help reduce teen pregnancies and ensure school completion.
“The holistic wellbeing approach, adopted under this project, reflects learning from states such as Jharkhand where similar initiatives are enhancing adolescent learning outcomes,” said Auguste Tano Kouamé, the World Bank’s Country Director for India.
International experience has shown that the likelihood of securing quality jobs increases significantly with the completion of education.
“The project design has also benefited from World Bank operations in Tanzania and Bangladesh – where youth engagement through information on job opportunities, counseling and safe community spaces helped reduce school dropout rates,” said Pravesh Kumar and Kanupriya Misra, the Task Team Leaders for the project.
Currently, the World Bank has more than 60 projects in its portfolio focusing on access to jobs and job creation for women and youth with a total commitment amount of $9.3 billion.
The $35 million variable spread loan from the International Bank of Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) has a final maturity of 15 years, including a grace period of 5 years.