GUWAHATI
Schools in Meghalaya’s mining-affected East Jaintia Hills district are training young minds against substance abuse through storytelling and showcasing their talent to increase confidence, public-speaking skills and emotional intelligence.
Drug abuse has been a major issue in Meghalaya, especially in districts where a ban on rat-hole coal mining since April 2014 hit the local economy. Most of the State’s abandoned and illegal coal mines are in the East Jaintia Hills district.
To counter this problem, the Meghalaya Government introduced the Drug Reduction Elimination & Action Mission (DREAM) in 2023, prioritising empowerment and resilience-building alongside enforcement measures. The East Jaintia Hills district authorities launched ‘ia ka Mynried’, meaning “for a better tomorrow” in the Pnar or Jaintia language, across 11 educational institutions for four months from December 2024.
The initiative, aligned with DREAM, is supported by the District Mineral Foundation and implemented by Avenues, a Meghalaya-based social enterprise.
The curriculum spread across six days of winter camp per group, focussed on confidence-building, basic communication skills and strategies for resisting drug abuse. These camps covered 1,826 students – 723 males and 1,103 females – through 36,520 hours of training.
On Tuesday (March 18, 2025), events were held across three schools in the district to distribute certificates to the last 688 students. Two of these schools are at Byndihati and one in Iongkaluh.
“The winter camps have created a lasting impact in the district as students have received training that can transform their lives. We aim to take this initiative to more schools,” Santa Mary Shylla, the MLA of the Sutnga-Saipung Assembly constituency said at one of these schools.
“In addition to soft skills training, a key practice of this programme is to encourage talent recognition to help young people identify personal strengths and build self-worth,” the district’s Deputy Commissioner, Shivansh Awasthi said at another school.
“Ia ka Mynried is for our youth because they are the future of our State, our country, and the world. We must set the benchmark in fighting against the drug menace that hinders youth aspirations and well-being,” he said.
Well-being pledge
The camps incorporate storytelling, habit-building and the display of talent to increase confidence, public-speaking and emotional intelligence. A key highlight is the Well-being Pledge, where students commit to a drug-free life.
Each camp culminated in a certification event at the end of a 20-hour training period. Under the initiative, some participants took the stage to share their learnings from the programme while others showcased their talents before an audience.
“This programme has helped me build confidence and understand my emotional and mental health. Learning power stances and coping mechanisms has given me tools to navigate challenges,” Gracious Phawa, a Class 8 student of St. Peter’s Secondary School said.
“Before this camp, I never thought about how I stand or communicate. Now, I feel more confident in speaking and interacting with others,” Silwillstar Shylla, a Class IX student of Byndihati Secondary School said.
