Building an entrepreneurial ecosystem for persons with disabilities in Meghalaya Entrepreneurship has begun an upward journey in Meghalaya through the initiatives of the central government as well as the state government by bringing in various schemes and projects with regards to entrepreneurship. PRIME has become a recognizable arm of the government that is working tirelessly to provide the optimal entrepreneurial ecosystem within the state with its active and incentivized outreach programs. At the same time, it is pertinent to highlight that a certain section of the community has not embraced entrepreneurship. They are the Persons with disabilities.
To bridge this gap, PRIME Meghalaya is collaborating with Barefoot Trust, a trust that offers a solution in creating an empathic understanding of the entrepreneurial ecosystem from the perspective of persons with disabilities. Hence, the PRIME Inclusive Entrepreneurship programme was introduced in the state. The objectives of the programme are:
1. Identify potential challenges & create support for entrepreneurship initiatives for persons with disabilities.
2. Develop a road map of interventions for persons with disabilities in the entrepreneurship sector.
The PRIME Inclusive Entrepreneurship programme was conducted in the following districts:
1. East Khasi Hills (Mawphlang) on the 2nd May 2022
2. Ri Bhoi (Nongpoh) on the 13th May 2022
3. West Jaintia Hills (Jowai) on the 11th August 2022
4. West Garo Hills (Tura) on the 1st September 2022
The outcome of the programme is as follows:
1. Interaction with 75 persons with disabilities with the potential of setting up their own entrepreneurial ventures
2. Identified possible areas of intervention, highlighted the gaps and the required resources
3. A detailed proposal including strategic support for the persons with disabilities was created.
