Nagaland: Crafting stories of inclusive development

December 7, 2024 8 Views No Comment

Morung Express News
Kohima | December 7

From wood and bamboo crafts, unique traditional musical instruments, hand-woven items or various processed food items, the Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) SHG stall at the Hornbill Festival 9th Regional Northeast Sale of Articles of Rural Artisans Society (SARAS) Fair, is not just a treat for the eyes but crafting stories of inclusive development.

Brought from artisans in various parts of Nagaland, the Nagaland State Rural Livehihoods Mission is helping to uplift the PwD SHG members promote and sale their items.

Sabitha Thapa is said to be a member of Theja SHG from Khrukhe VLO, Sechü Zubza. The PwD who has come to sell her own pickled products through the help of stall exclaims how the response has been overwhelming.

“By day 4 some items like rosella pickle has been sold out,” she expresses adding how this platform has given her an opportunity to grow, connect and find a source of income to support her family.

Self taught, Thapa said she gathered more skills and insights after undertaking training from APEDA, Dimapur last year.

Apart from various items, Kedutshulo L Mero of Eneishe SHG from Enhulumi Villagem Chizami, Phek has also sent his crafts from Phek. Kedutshulo is visually impaired.

Speaking about the initiative, Kesovino Pohena who is assisting the stall here informed that under NRSLM intervention, the Mission is basically to uplift the womenfolk but under that they are also looking at inclusivity to uplift the PwDs so that they are not left behind.

While inclusion of vulnerable category of the rural community has been part of the process of social mobilization efforts under DAY-NRLM, the formation of exclusive SHGs began only in 2019.

During the pandemic, the community institutions of SHGs reached out to the elderly and PwDs, ensuring their access to basic amenities such as food, medicines, sanitation products and other utilities.

Once work could resume, the State Mission started focusing on mobilizing the vulnerable category groups such as the elderly and PwDs under the Social Inclusion-Social Development component and formation of special groups.

Since then, focus has been on building capacities of resource pool on how to work with the vulnerable community, and facilitating access to available entitlements.

Strategies for inclusion and implementation of targets include capacity building of facilitators; partnership and convergence; financial inclusion (such as opening of bank accounts, access to insurances etc); livelihoods and enterprise undertaking through allocated AAP funds; social protection and social security measures.

Given the fact that the Mission staff is not equipped with the expertise to address issues, nor the necessary mechanisms to facilitate access to entitlements, the NSRLM has signed a MoU with Office of the State Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities for further strengthening the strategic efforts.

Pohena says that the stall is on their second visit to Hornbill Festival after it was introduced last year.

Our visitors and customers are showing so much love to us. Some people get confused as to what PwDs is as the stall is tagged PwDs SHGs but we highlight about what exactly we are doing, which category they are. People show so much empathy and support by buying their products, she pointed out.

Till date, according to a data 3645 PwDs mobilized into 431 exclusive PwD Self Help Groups; 309 PwDs included in 213 general SHGs from 74 RD Blocks. 105 exclusive Enterprises of the PwDs promoted. 1176 PwDs assisted with community funds including revolving fund, community investment funds and vulnerability reduced funds and 11 district level advocacy programmes on working with PwDs conducted.