Entrepreneurs Associates (EA) in partnership with the Chakhesang Women Welfare Society (CWWS) organised a day long workshop for women vendors in Pfutsero town on November 26.
A press note by EA stated that the program was a continuation of the “uplifting women street vendors” project being undertaken by EA and conceptualised to reach out to individuals involved in bridging the rural village economies with the urban centres.
EA has therefore undertaken this novel initiative of connecting with women vendors who form a large section of the local workforce to understand their plight while also training them on financial literacy and management, provide credit linkages, inform them about their legal rights and link them to health care providers to alleviate their living standards.
The event held at Mission Centre of the Chakhesang Baptist Churches Council began with a devotional session which addressed issues concerning women. Speaking to the gathering, Vechulou Kanuo, secretary of CWWS encouraged women to give their best and stressed that they formed a very important link in the economic chain of the state.
Reiterating the importance of the women vendors who were the guardians of the indigenous economy Neikule Doulo, master franchisee, Aloha Mental Arithmetic also impressed upon on them their contributions to the local trading scene. Highlighting the dire need for Nagas to get more involved in entrepreneurial activities she encouraged the women to be the torch bearers in their families and society.
A detailed input on the need to save and why they should take it up was provided by Welhikro Mero, branch manager, EA Phek. He also introduced the various thrift programmes available under EA’s cooperative wing, EATACOL and encouraged them to participate in some of them.
About 60 women vendors from different marketing areas of the town participated in the first phase of the initiative at Pftusero. The interactions with these vendors also highlighted many difficulties faced by them regularly as they worked under the harshest of working conditions.
The women therefore suggested that the state machinery as well as organisations working in the development sector should take stock of their problems and come up with some positive measures to help them.