Participants of the workshop on bamboo basketry at Sao Chang College.
TUENSANG, MAY 7 (MExN): The Alumni Committee, Sao Chang College, organized a workshop program on Bamboo Basketry to impart basic skills on May 3 for 6th Semester students in the college Multipurpose Hall.
The program was sponsored by Alumni Association, Sao Chang College in collaboration with Tribal Welfare Society, Saksi Colony, Tuensang with I Pallang Khiamniungan and KK Peshiu Khiamnuigan as resource persons. The program was organized with the objective of passing on the traditional knowledge of Basketry to younger generation and educating the students about Bamboo Basketry as a sustainable craft, which has value in the environment protection endeavor.
Rangbenkumla Chang, Assistant Professor, Department of Environmental Science, Sao Chang College was invited to speak on the theme: Sustainable Crafts”. She began the presentation with the statement that 'our lifestyle choices have huge impact on the planet' and 'sometimes our activities can also put our community at risk' and 'the only solution is to incorporate a sustainable lifestyle'.
She highlighted that Sustainable crafts are valued for being eco-friendly, a “great way to educate the people about being kind to the environment and protecting our natural resources” and “is part of our identity but we are losing it to advanced technology.” She also mentioned that there are lots of challenges to marketing the finished product, plus the mindset of the people for preferring synthetic things as they are more durable than synthetic crafts.
Besides bamboo as a sustainable craft material, she informed about banana fiber as the latest resource of sustainable crafts, and that Nagaland has the suitable climatic conditions to grow banana plants in large amounts. She added that recycling of products into new products is also identified as sustainable crafts. The presentation was concluded by the statement “if planet Earth cannot sustain 8 billion people, then 8 billion people have to work sustainably in order to sustain themselves on Earth.”
Vice President, Khiungmong Yimchunger and Changsomba Chang, Assistant General Secretary attended the programme along with the Board members of Tribal Welfare Society, Sakshi Colony. Seventeen registered students and some faculty took part in hands on training. Yangkikhumla Sangtam, Coordinator of Alumni Committee presented the welcome address and Bendangla Sangtam, Alumni Committee member presented the Vote of Thanks.
