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From our story, development activities may appear to take longer than elsewhere in Nagaland. It may be no exaggeration to say that Nagaland is witnessing a silent revolution, as women take up the mantle to become more independent, ambitious and daring against all odds.
It also supports other women entrepreneurs and strengthens the workforce under the banner of Women Entrepreneurs Network Nagaland (WENN). east mojo During one of our social events in Kohima, we caught up with the brains behind WENN, the core team of seven members. In a coffee-scented room, WENN Chairman Alem Jungra Jameel tells us how it all started.
According to her, the core team consists of female entrepreneurs cultivated through the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and Dhriiti-The Courage Within’s project Her&Now initiative.
After the incubation period, we need to continue breaking stereotypes by building networks of women entrepreneurs and finding ways to get fellow women entrepreneurs across the state, Jameel said.
Last September, GIZ, Dhriiti and Nagaland Investment and Development Authority (IDAN) signed a tripartite MoU to boost women’s entrepreneurship. GIZ’s India her project Her & Now launched her WENN earlier this year in partnership with Dhriiti.
WENN’s founding members are Alemjungla Jamir, Sumiho Aye, Hetika Kitchen, Zakietsono Jamir, Nengneithem Hengma, Kewengule Therie, and Regina Chakruno.
A survey by Unincorporated Non-Agricultural Enterprises (excluding construction) during the 73rd round of the NSS (July 2015-June 2016) found that out of over 42,000 enterprises across Nagaland, 50% were located in rural areas. It became clear. Interestingly, 96% were owned companies. Women headed her 21.6% of women-owned businesses here, compared to the national average of 20% of her MSMEs owned by women at the national level.
In a short period of time, WENN has registered about 100 women entrepreneurs in the state. “There are many small women entrepreneurs in Nagaland. We realized that as entrepreneurs, we need to network and partner with other women entrepreneurs,” said WENN’s chairman. Added.
The core team aims to recruit more women across the state to network and share information, knowledge and even skills. We also aim to work with NGOs and government agencies to promote women’s entrepreneurship.
“Entrepreneurship in Nagaland is at an inflection point and we believe enabling business ecosystems will help the state to get back on track. If supported, we can benefit from this new trend,” says Julia Karst. She is responsible for the Economic Empowerment of Women Entrepreneurs and Startups project by Women Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH.
WENN Chairman Alemjungla Jamir quit his job as a lecturer to start a business called Naga Bowl Express in December 2018. This is a small restaurant focused on traditional Naga food from Dimapur.
In 2020, Naga Bowl Express was awarded “Nagaland’s Most Admired Traditional Naga Restaurant” by Merit Awards and Market Research Private Limited.
“I have no regrets about quitting my job as an office worker to pursue my passion. As entrepreneurs, we are able to provide employment opportunities to other people. “You start to feel,” said the chef.
The Jameel brand aims to put Naga cuisine on the world map.
WENN’s head of operations, Vekutholu Vero, started Hetika Kitchen in 2016 after completing his master’s degree. “At the time, I didn’t know what to do after my studies. My family also pressured me to do something. That’s when a diploma in baking came in handy,” she recalls. .
Entrepreneurship can be a lonely journey with many mental, physical and financial challenges.After going through it all, she is determined to share her experience with other female entrepreneurs. doing. In addition to her business, she also trains young entrepreneurs, some of whom have started their own businesses.
Zakietsonuo Jamir, WENN’s head of public affairs and popularly known as Atsi, also tells how he started his entrepreneurial journey in 2016 but left the profession a year later. But when she makes her 2019 comeback and starts her Farmers Square Café, her specialty coffee restaurant, in Medziphema, a small town in the Chumoukedima district, there’s no stopping her.
Eco-friendly spaces, specialty coffees, an approach to sustainability and the use of innovative brewing methods set her brand apart. The young barista also said that maintaining product originality and authenticity is a key factor in the growth of the brand.
WENN Executive Secretary Nengneithem Hengna is also the founder of Runway Nagaland, a brand of indigenous jewelry made by local artisans, and has been in the business for nearly a decade.
“Nine years ago, I decided to trust my instincts… What I got was not financial success, but the respect I got as a team of independent women and the legacy I got through my work. “We mean business,” she says in her recently published book from GIZ.
She told EastMojo that the environment has become more conducive for women entrepreneurs compared to how they did business in the past. She observed that newer generations are recognizing the need to include stakeholders in the policy-making process.
Hengna said the government is incorporating their voices into policy decisions. “We need women in policy making. she said.
“As entrepreneurs, we face different challenges. But together, our voices are stronger. ,” said Kewengule Therie, WENN’s chief financial officer and owner of Ake Living.
She also shared how public perceptions of entrepreneurs have changed over time. “Before, people didn’t think of entrepreneurship as a profession. They thought we were wasting our time. But now people recognize our work and We are taken seriously,” she added.
Sumiho Aye, lead strategist at WENN and founder of Grassroots Aspirations, said Nagaland has joined the movement to advance SDG 5 to achieve gender equality and women’s empowerment. Told. In this regard, she added that the state “is witnessing the growth of women entrepreneurs.”(The Think)
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