The Happy Valley Youth Cooperative

I have been meeting a lot of smart people lately.
I met Sangay Rinchen yesterday, and he has an important idea. He wants to start a Youth Cooperative.
Sangay says he was always a group leader at school and interested in the Arts. He was smart, so he did well at school and got a job in the civil service. But he was not happy with was he was doing, “It wasn’t what I thought I would be doing,” he tells me.
So he planned the youth co op. It is a big dream. It takes a bold one to act out a big dream. He has talked to many people about his plan, and is right now finding a way to get his co op registered.
The Co op will begin with a theatre group, and will go on to include One Stop shops, Design, food shops, media services, advertising agencies......all run and owned by the youth. Keep an ear open for the Happy Valley Youth Cooperative of Bhutan-that’s what Sangay is calling his grand idea.
Sangay says he believes that the youth of Bhutan are not really happy. Most of them are unemployed, and those who are, are not happy with what they are doing. And I agree. We have been brought up to score high in the exams and covet the civil service. I don’t know what the people who don’t do that well in exams do. And there always are people who won’t come first.
Our system is too restrictive, as it is increasingly apparent. The employment problem is growing, and we are left wondering where the problem lies. Are the youth of today really incapable? I refuse to believe that!
Sangay’s idea is giving the young people a chance to do something that they can do well, to help them achieve a sense of self-worth, while making money, and fostering feelings of belongingness, and concern for the community.
His idea speaks of belief in people. That they are capable, and that everyone has something to contribute.
I don’t know if his venture will be a success, I don’t think he knows either. But it could save the thousands of youth who don’t know what to do with their life, and help them grow up to be responsible citizens of our great country.
I wish Sangay all the best in his venture, I know he is having problems getting his co-op registered. The government need to support people like him who dream big and also dare to work at actualising their dreams. Good luck Sangay!