Kohima, September 28 (MExN): The Modern Institute of Teacher Education (MITE) conducted an Extension-cum-Outreach Programme at Chiechama Village on September 27 under the theme “Naga Medicinal Heritage: Safeguarding Nature’s Remedies.”
According to MITE, the initiative was designed to raise awareness about the preservation of medicinal plants and to provide B.Ed. student teachers with an immersive learning experience connecting traditional ecological knowledge with modern education. A total of 100 Semester-I B.Ed. student teachers, accompanied by five faculty members, participated in the event.
The programme aimed to enable future educators to appreciate indigenous knowledge systems and explore methods for incorporating them into contemporary teaching practices. The MITE team received a warm welcome from the village community and elders upon arrival.
The outreach commenced with an orientation session where student teacher Vilenuo Huozha addressed the Student Union Council and Village Council. In her remarks, she emphasised the need to safeguard local biodiversity, protect endangered medicinal plants and pass traditional healing knowledge to future generations.
At 10:30 a.m., the student teachers conducted a one-kilometre awareness rally through the village, carrying placards and boards to highlight the therapeutic uses and conservation needs of medicinal plants. Following the rally, the student teachers were divided into small groups for door-to-door household visits. They engaged directly with villagers, distributing informational pamphlets detailing locally available medicinal herbs, their uses and benefits, and explained methods of sustainable harvesting and preservation to ensure the knowledge could be practically applied by the community.
The programme also featured a plantation drive, where saplings of medicinal and indigenous plants were planted in selected village areas. MITE stated that this act reinforced the shared responsibility towards environmental stewardship and the importance of nurturing biodiversity.
The outreach concluded at 2:00 p.m. Villagers expressed gratitude, noting that the event inspired them to take active steps towards preserving their natural resources. MITE said the outreach was widely regarded as a success, fostering mutual learning, strengthening community ties and highlighting the role of education in sustaining indigenous knowledge systems. It added that the programme stands as a model for how educational institutions can contribute meaningfully to cultural and environmental preservation.
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