Nagaland : Tetso College, affiliated with Nagaland University (NU), organised a seminar to raise awareness of the social development sector in the country in collaboration with SBI Youth for India. Ruchinilo Kemp (YFI 2015-16), alumnus of the SBI Youth for India Fellowship program and Founder of Kenono Foundation, delivered a talk on how youth from Nagaland are contributing to social development at the grassroots and can facilitate rural development by collaborating with regional communities working in the villages. The seminar was attended by professors, students, and social sector aspirants.

Speaking at the seminar, the Youth for India alumnus Kemp exemplified how, during his Fellowship with YFI, he impacted the lives of the rural communities through his project and continues his work in nature conservation in Nagaland. He encouraged youth to explore thematic areas such as Health, Rural Livelihood, Food Security, Environmental Protection, Education, Water, Technology, Women’s Empowerment, Self-Governance, Social Entrepreneurship, Traditional Craft, and Alternate Energy to gain knowledge and develop skills required to be the changemakers. Some of these areas are aligned with India’s national priorities.

The SBI YFI, through its various youth-led interventions, has impacted over 150,000 lives in 250+ villages across 20 states in the country over more than 13 years. It is currently accepting applications for the 12th batch of YFI through https://youthforindia.org/register in its pursuit to place informed women and men to facilitate development planning at the village level and enable the linking of plans with available resources.

The seminar by SBI Youth for India duly emphasized that urban-educated youth possess the necessary skill set and education to devise unique solutions to challenging situations and foster sustainable, inclusive, and resilient growth at the country’s grassroots level. This will result in building capacity and empowering local communities to take ownership of development initiatives.

The social development sector in India faces several challenges in reaching out to rural communities while engaging youth in their development. Some of the rural challenges include limited Infrastructure, language, and cultural barriers, limited resources, lack of awareness, resistance to change, and gender inequality, to name a few. To address these challenges, social development

organizations need to adopt innovative approaches, build partnerships with local organizations and community leaders, and work towards building trust with the community.