Team Myki Nagaland with Dr Diana Patton, NCS, Assistant Resident Commissioner Nagaland House, Shillong during her visit at the Myki Nagaland Stall at Polo Ground Shillong.
Shillong, May 6 (MExN): The Nagaland Department of Women Resource Development is showcasing its Myki products during the 2nd North East Food Show, at Shillong which kicked off on May 5 at Polo Ground, Shillong.
Dubbed as the ‘North East’s Biggest Food Innovation Exhibition,’ the event was inaugurated by Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma and Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang in the presence of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare Minister Banteidor Lyngdoh and Sikkim Tourism Minister Bidu Singh Panth. The event will conclude on May 7, a press release informed on Friday.
As per the release, the Brand Myki is showcasing 14 different food products of the women farmers of Nagaland along with apparels and accessories like, face mask, aprons, carry bags etc. Food products at display and sale include, Naga king chilli, dried bamboo shoots, pineapple candy, wild apple candy, dried gooseberry, anishi powder, roasted groundnut, roselle, popped rice, ginger powder, turmeric powder, kholar, sumac powder and millet, it said.
The release stated explained that Myki, which means women or the female gender in Nagamese, is also a play on the English word ‘My’ and the word ‘Ki’ which coincidentally means ‘home’ or ‘house’ in all the major Naga dialects. Put together, Myki gives us the term ‘My Home’ or ‘My House,’ it said, while adding that the brand is, ‘for all practical purposes, a home or a place where women can come together to find common ground an take up meaningful and sustainable livelihoods activities together.’
It said that the Myki Initiative started under the Transformative Livelihood Intervention (TLI) Project during 2006, which is a comprehensive programme for the socio-economic empowerment of women of Nagaland, particularly the rural and urban poor women and the marginalized, by facilitating various income generating activities to enable better and alternative means of livelihoods. The Projects envisions to build on past experiences, while also bringing in new initiatives, it maintained.
Myki food products
As per the release, during the initial years, women farmers or groups were provided with necessary financial assistance and later various trainings on food processing were provided including pre and postharvest management. Eventually, a Mini Fruit & Vegetable Processing Centre was set up during 2009-10 with the view to facilitate promotion of the various products of women farmers, entrepreneurs, self-help groups, societies, etc. Over the years, the Centre located at Meriema has undergone revamping and upscaling with more new interventions by the Department to promote better quality products and provide employment opportunities to more women farmers.
The Centre has been renamed as Food Processing-cum-Resource Centre which now supports around 100 women farmers and entrepreneurs annually who are into mini food processing activities and produces around 15 Myki food products
Myki apparels & accessories
During 2018-19, the Apparels & Accessories production programme was conceived to popularize Naga themed fabrics with modern motifs and designs. It aims at manufacturing various indigenously designed attires and accessories, including paper carry bags and wrapping papers so designed to avoid use of plastic bags, etc at very affordable prices and has received accolades from a wide range of people, including domestic and foreign tourists, over the past years, the release stated.
Opportunities are being offered to the best trainees of the Multi Training Centre Kohima and skilled unemployed women trained in tailoring, knitting, weaving, and beading for short-term employment on pay-per-production basis under this programme.
Myki Apparels & Accessories products include garments, bags, facemasks, knitted woollen products, crochet dolls, plastic baskets and accessories (70 different products), it said.
Myki Products are being put to display and sales during various major events (both in and outside State) and made available at both the Myki Store in Kohima and Dimapur, including some select outlets, the release stated.
