Dignitaries and others during launching programme of ‘Uplifting Women Street Vendors Program’ in Arunachal Pradesh on February 4.
Our Correspondent
Kohima | February 4
Launching the ‘Uplifting Women Street Vendors Program’ in Arunachal Pradesh and marking the 4th state for the program, after Nagaland, Manipur and Assam, The Entrepreneurs Associates (tEA) today conducted the first programme at St Francis School, Dadam Block of Tirap District.
124 women, who are regularly engaged in producing and marketing of local farm yields in Dadam and neighboring town of Khonsa turned up at the programme.
These women engage in door-to-door sale or dot the streets with their local produces ranging from variety of fruits and vegetables, both farmed and foraged from the wild.
The program was moderated by Chanem Thingnok; CEO of Khajen Farmers Producer Company Limited.
Chubatemjen, Content Writer at tEA, spoke on the origin, vision, and mission of tEA and the relevance of the Uplifting Women Street Vendors Programme, especially in rural spaces.
He elaborated on the impact of this initiative since its inception under the mentorship of tEA executive director Neikule Doulo.
He substantiated on strategies for women to attain financial freedom and the vital role that blue collar jobs play in sustaining the economy.
Khiapgi Agi, CEO of Pedmoahty Farmers Producer Company Limited talked on the importance of savings.
He briefed the women on the various profitable saving pools trained under tEA.
Senya Lowang, a Lawyer and CEO of Sunphiak Farmers Producer Company Limited, enlightened the women of their legal rights as street vendors and the availability of seeking free legal aid from the State Legal Service Authority.
Liamja Sumnyan, President of the Dadam Catholic Church expressed gratitude to tEA for pioneering an empowering initiative in Arunachal Pradesh, specifically with regards to Dadam, especially because the practice of vending in Tirap began there.
The program concluded with vote of thanks and felicitation from the moderator, followed by an interactive Q&A session with the women street vendors.
The Uplifting Women Street Vendors Program is a flagship program of tEA, launched in October 2017, to empower women involved in the network of marketing farm produce.
The program is unique to tEA and one of a kind in the entire NER India. It engages with women street vendors, producers who also sell their yields, and aggregators who link rural products with the urban markets.
Till date, tEA has trained and worked with 7000 women street vendors in Nagaland, Manipur, and Assam with plans to branch out to other neighboring states in the upcoming days.
Under the program, tEA has been providing training on financial & business management, skills training, health and legal services, mentorship and linkages to markets and Zero Interest Loans. tEA hopes that by 2025, 10,000 women street vendors will be impacted under the program.
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