A household survey being conducted by a PRP with a woman in her kitchen hearth in a village and observed by a NSRLM field officer.
Kohima: The Nagaland State Rural Livelihood Mission (NSRLM) is all geared up for phased implementation of the programme in the nine NRLM districts in the State. NSRLM will begin work in nine identified Intensive Resource Blocks in each district where sensitization with stakeholders has already been completed. As a preparatory move before actual groundwork, a team of 17 professionals from OMPLIS, Andhra Pradesh, National Resource Organisation (NRO) visited the State from February 24 to March 2. The team was led by Y.B. Sreedhar Reddy, State Project Professional, Society for Elimination of Rural Poverty (SERP), Department of Rural Development and Training Coordinators Rajashekar and Mahesh of OMPLIS.
Professional Resource
Persons visits various districts
The team comprising of Community Resource Persons (CRPs)and Professional Resource Persons (PRPs)arranged into two groups and visited the NRLM districts of Mon, Longleng, Kiphire, Mokokchung, Zunheboto, Wokha, Phek, Dimapur and Kohima, particularly the Intensive Resource Blocks of Mon, Longleng, Kiphire, Changtongya, Satakha, Chukitong, Pfutsero, Chumukedima and Jakhama respectively. The groups led by State Project Managers Imonenla Imkong Phom and Sentinaro Longkumer and Program Managers Visakono Sakhrie and Khriezovonuo Lhoungu visited selected villages in the Intensive Blocks and interacted with Self Help Group (SHG) members. The basic idea of the visit was to observe the structure and function of pre-NRLM SHGs in the State with a diagnostic approach. Household surveys on socio-economic conditions were conducted in some villages and interactions were held with Internal Community Resource Persons identified from the Intensive Blocks.
Persons visits various districts
The team comprising of Community Resource Persons (CRPs)and Professional Resource Persons (PRPs)arranged into two groups and visited the NRLM districts of Mon, Longleng, Kiphire, Mokokchung, Zunheboto, Wokha, Phek, Dimapur and Kohima, particularly the Intensive Resource Blocks of Mon, Longleng, Kiphire, Changtongya, Satakha, Chukitong, Pfutsero, Chumukedima and Jakhama respectively. The groups led by State Project Managers Imonenla Imkong Phom and Sentinaro Longkumer and Program Managers Visakono Sakhrie and Khriezovonuo Lhoungu visited selected villages in the Intensive Blocks and interacted with Self Help Group (SHG) members. The basic idea of the visit was to observe the structure and function of pre-NRLM SHGs in the State with a diagnostic approach. Household surveys on socio-economic conditions were conducted in some villages and interactions were held with Internal Community Resource Persons identified from the Intensive Blocks.
A debriefing session on the visit was held on March 2 at Dimapur with Motsuthung Lotha, Mission Director, NSRLM, and Additional Secretary and Visasolie Lhoungu, Chief Executive Officer, NSRLM. The CRPs and PRPs gave presentations on the visit. Based on observations during interaction and surveys held, a major point of concern found by the resource persons is that SHGs in Nagaland lack basic training in areas such as bookkeeping and record maintenance. Among other observations made, the team also found that there is lack of knowledge about basic principles and dynamics of SHGs and repayment of loans is poor. While highlighting these aspects, the resource persons stated that homogeneity is a plus point of SHGs in Nagaland and the practice of taking up collective activities such as cleaning the village and planting trees are exemplary and need to be encouraged.
The visit is a precursor to a phased implementation programme by NSRLM under the Department of Rural Development, Government of Nagaland, where CRPs have been identified from among active women members of SHGs in the Intensive Blocks in Nagaland and they will be undergoing training at the national resource organisation institute. These trained Internal CRPs along with CRPs from the NRO will be stationed at villages to train SHGs, both existing and new ones, and monitor activities of the SHGs so they can eventually become NRLM compliant.
