Pic: Umesh Marpalli
Daijiworld Media Network-Udupi(HB)

Udupi, Nov 24: ‘Rural Community Lab’, SELCO Foundation, Bengaluru was inaugurated on Monday, November 23 by T Mohandas Pai, president, Dr TMA Pai foundation, Manipal and Bharatiya Vikas trust.

Harish Hande, chairman SELCO, said, “SELCO Foundation envisions a sustainable society. We seek to create avenues for asset building, enhancement in quality of life and wealth creation that will uplift deprived sections of society through sustainable development solutions”. 

“Rural Community Lab was established to get an indepth understanding of relevant issues faced by rural communities, especially the un-served or underserved, and to catalyze workable models to solve these issues in a holistic and sustainable manner. In the process, we also strive to respect and replicate the traditional wisdom and other innovative initiatives of like-minded organizations”.

Harish Hande wants to make youngsters to think more practically. “Partnership is better than manual power. The SELCO emphasizes on to finding solution on health, energy saving, water conservation, sewing machine, dryers, crusher and other agricultural usable machines”, he said. 

Speaking further about Rural Community lab, he said, “They undertake a comprehensive needs assessment, resource mapping, stakeholder analysis, and market studies (where required) to determine the actual requirement and involve the communities throughout to ensure their ownership in the programmes”. 

“With an objective to act as a platform rather than a provider, they work with a spectrum of communities, individuals, and organizations and our areas of work range from energy issues, issues of water access, and enhancement of livelihoods to health and sanitation”.  

“They hope that the establishment of the Rural Community Lab in Manipal, Karnataka will help to tap the immense resources of educational institutions and financial stalwarts as well as use the agricultural and rural experiences of the communities close by to find long term replicable and sustainable solutions to rural challenges”, he said.

KM Udupa, managing trustee, T Satish U Pai, managing director, Manipal Media network Ltd, T Ashok Pai, Chairman, TMA Pai polytechnic, Manipal and others were present.