Nagaland: Women vendors get zero interest loans

The Entrepreneurs Associates (tEA) supported by the philanthropic group Caring Friends, Mumbai extended interest free loans to 16 women street vendors in Kohima on Monday under “Uplifting Women Street Vendors Program”.
The Interest Free Loans will enables women vendors to expand their businesses.
Over 1000+ women from Nagaland and Manipur have received zero interest loans since 2021 from the organisation. The zero interest loans were initiated under the Uplifting Women Street Vendors Program post pandemic after tEA observed that women street vendors had exhausted their savings and over 91% of women shared their inability to relaunch their businesses.
As part of the ongoing program to empower and uplift women street vendors across North East India, tEA has been training and working with over 6500+ women in Nagaland, Manipur, and Assam.
Head of communications tEA, Neikule Doulo said that the programme was initiated after studying the situation of women vegetable vendors over a prolonged period.
She informed that the training which began with 16 women in Kohima had now spanned successfully in three states, inclusive of skills trainings.
Narrating her experience with the Entrepreneurs Associates (tEA), street vendor Lonyi Yalie said that her association with tEA had transformed her life as she had received access to better financial and market linkages after attending the programme.
Encouraging the 60 women street vendors present in the meeting Neichute Doulo, CEO, tEA encouraged them to prioritise their financial planning and “pay themselves first” by setting aside money for their future through consistent savings. Doulo also urged the women to think of long-term saving and planning rather than short term, reminding them that it was important to invest in assets for progress.
Also Educating the women about the Street Vendors Act and its current status in Nagaland, panel lawyer from the Nagaland State Legal Services Authority, Kezhosano Kikhi provided an overview of the act. She also encouraged the women to organise themselves into pressure groups to fight for their rights and betterment.
The programme also marked the introduction of SAIL- Specialised Accelerated Intensive Learning, which will provide intensive business inputs to the women. Chunjanglu Gracy, Operations Supervisor, tEA imparted in-depth explanation on proper budget planning and management of capital to the vendors. The SAIL program targets to impact 200 promising women with the potential for adopting improved systems and technologies with focused attention to help them progress and achieve economic prosperity sooner.
The session was chaired by tEA’s Community Mobiliser Azonuo Chietsu and began with an invocation by pastor, Kohima Baptist Church, Bendang Walling.
Assistant manager tEA, Sentinaro Walling also provided some inputs on the services available for the women under tEA and the program concluded with a vote of thanks by Lenu Neikha, project associate, tEA.