NGOs, civil bodies come to the rescue of displaced people
Source: Chronicle News Service / Niranjan Oinam
Imphal, August 23 2023:
In addition to different skill development programmes taken up by the district administration for economic sustenance of the inmates of relief camps, various NGOS, voluntary/civil organisations and individuals have also come to the rescue of those taking refuge in relief camps by helping them to take up specific economic activities.
As a consequence of the ethnic violence since May 3, thousands of Meitei families left their homes to seek shelter in the relief camps opened across the state.
Many of the women and children survivor of the violence who are in the relief camps are suffering from mental trauma.
In order to bring a solution to their mental trauma, the district administration in association with NGOs are providing counselling and skill development programmes for the women inmates on making juice, pickles, candle, incense sticks and confectionaries.
Apart from the training programme under the auspices of district administration, ETA North East Foundation Trust and Art of Living Foundation are also skilling the inmates to improve their economic conditions.
Speaking to this daily, chairperson Sophia Rajkumari informed that ETA Trust is an organisation having around 5000 members from different communities which has been taking up various activities for the empowerment of women and helping people who are suffering due to natural disasters.
As part of this initiative, the organisation also took up the initiative of providing relief materials to inmates of the relief camp opened in Thanga Lawai.
During the relief distribution, the organisation realised pathetic condition and hardships faced by the inmates and as such decided to provide livelihood opportunity to so as to provide them a new hope for living, she said, adding that with the support of experts in producing goods and employees of Meira Foods provided trainings to the inmates.
Subsequently, ETA supplied raw materials to the inmates and provided them the opportunity to produce goods.
Goods and processed foods like juice, pickles, candle, incense sticks and sweets were bought from them by the team of ETA and sold to their members and finally managed to bring about some changes and development' in their economy.
Sophia said that as of now ETA has been able to provide trainings to inmates of around 20 relief camps.
It would be much appreciated if different organisations come up and help the inmates, she conveyed and urged all interested to conduct training to contact 9999457584.Similarly, Art of Living Foundation senior faculty Rajaque Rahman told this daily that in addition to conducting training on making detergents, incense sticks, dish wash and candle it has also taken up trauma and stress management programmes in the relief camps under the initiative of the foundation's faculties including Irom Soni, Rk Asharani and Laishram Dixon.
The foundation is also planning to provide mental health and rehabilitation activities very soon, he assured.
Meanwhile, inmates of the relief camps who have received trainings and are able to sell their products to the public have expressed their gratitude towards those organisations for taking up the initiative for the economic sustenance of the displaced people.
They also said that the initiatives have helped them solve their problems to a great extent.