Bhutan?s challenge in creating sufficient and productive employment for its youth has long been an issue of national concern. Even before the pandemic, youth unemployment was at its peak. With a young population, the scale of the challenge is growing and now, the economic impact of the pandemic is hitting youth the hardest, with devasting job losses in sectors such as tourism. This factor has fueled the reasons for why for PWDs (Person with Disabilities) were left out from their societies.

The chain reactions triggered by COVID with the existing unemployment rate reinforced the urgent need for our team to get better at navigating these complex issues. PWDs are subject to additional discrimination with regard to salary, employment, promotion and relationships at workplaces everywhere.

To tackle this issue, we were well versed in the statistics, literature, and the relevant policies, strategies and programmes. However, breaking away from projecting one-dimensional lenses onto the issue and oversimplifying its real dynamics and adopting a bottom-up approach from the systemic nature of the challenge itself, through PWDs experiences in all their complexity was vital. This was where idea of environmental vocational and education training (agricultural, wood carving and soft doll making) came in. Our aim is to understand their experiences of the wider system and to generate insights about their unemployment.

Previously, there has been no dated record of environmental vocational and education training inclusively offered to PWDs in the country. This project?s main deliverables will be first of its kind in the country that aims to develop and prepare person with disabilities to take off vocational training that not only sustain their lives but at the same time taking environmental resilience into consideration.

The environmental education and vocational program will be integrated as a part of Draktsho vocational training at both the Centres. Through participation in environmental vocational and education training, the PwDs can increase their self-power, self-reliance and lead a life of dignity in accordance with their values. Participation in this training will not merely be a source of income and independencies for our graduates, but also help them to satisfy their psychological and social needs.

Psychologically, participation in this training will not only strengthen their self-esteem and reduce the feeling that disabilities are manifestations of their deficiency but also, program like agricultural, use of green house and 3D - wood carving will enable them to be socially active and to contribute to mainstream economic stability of Bhutan.

In these ways, they can contribute to the well-being of the community of which they are a part of development despite their disabilities. The project deliverables will provide training to students and cultivate environmentally friendly mindset from very beginning which will not only address unemployment but be direct blessing to current students of Draktsho if developed and implemented. Exclusively, there is end-to-end potential to benefit future students as program can be used by teachers to teach in all times.

The project will be implemented at both the centres (Total of 200 student beneficiaries), however, the agriculture and wood carving will be limited to Draktsho East - Shinangkhar, Trashigang (near Kanglung college). The 3 acres of land will be provisioned for agriculture purpose.

The project deliverable will contribute to the environment conservation and livelihood opportunity of the people with disabilities through enhanced participation of the students of Draktsho and their family members in environmental education and vocational training.
The project is also committed to introduce green technologies and in situ conservation of endangered crops as well as starting a demonstration cum production of organic /natural farm and eventually expanding to agricultural farming and cultivation of various crops such as rice, wheat, buck wheat, maize etc.

Most importantly the project will strengthen the sustainability issues of Draktsho and allow youth with intellectual disabilities to participate in developing agricultural programs on a larger scale. Through this initiative we see the possibility of sustaining our programs as well as contributing to the conservation of the environment and fighting the climate change.