The youth in Manipur are finding out different ways to become self-reliant and generate means of livelihood.
The Kanglei Economic Development Organzation (KEDO) started by a group of unemployed youth of Thoubal district has come as a ray of hope for many youth in the area by helping them engage in a variety of jobs.
Established in 2007 by a few unemployed youth at Amyang Leikei in Thoubal district of Manipur, KEDO currently has around 100 volunteers, doing a variety of jobs in and around Imphal.
The group has taken up a project of vegetable farming at Irang Ahum Fangba at Lilong Arapti with an aim to provide fresh vegetables to the public as well as enable its volunteers to enhance their income.
They grow different seasonal vegetables like ladies finger, lime, banana and cucumber.
President of the organisation, Soibam Maniton, said that KEDO was started with an aim to generate employment
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"We set up KEDO in 2007. We are actually all educated but unfortunately we didn't get a job. So, all the youth came together and set up this organization under the motto of "to work for identity" in order to employ ourselves and also to bring more development in our state's economy," Maniton said.
Besides supplying vegetables to Ina Market, the volunteers of KEDO are involved in transporting goods and selling a variety of products like tea, juice, corn, and ice cream in the market.
The members manage to earn anywhere between from Rs. 4000 to Rs. 20,000 per month.
Wahengbam Rajen, a KEDO member, said that he joined the organisation to earn a living.
"There are many people who are working in KEDO and earning for their livelihood instead of wasting their time. I also joined KEDO to earn money," he said.
Anand, another KEDO member, urged the youth of the state to work hard
"I got lots of experience by working here. In Manipur, there are so many educated youth who are wasting their time by taking drugs. And when it comes to money, they always depend on their parents, which I don't want to do. If we really want to succeed in life then we have to work hard and we don't have to feel ashamed to take up any such kind of sincere work," he said.
"If we work hard and if we do it honestly then everything is possible. If we want to earn decent money then we have to work hard and not be lazy. Then only we will succeed in life," he added.
There are more than 6.5 lakh educated unemployed youth in Manipur.
Taking up such self-employment ventures will help in addressing the unemployment problem and generate livelihood opportunities for the youth.