Morung Express News
Mokokchung | August 22
It has been nearly four years since “Survival 2007” – the anti-Mian (illegal immigrants, particularly Bangladeshi immigrants) campaign started by the Ao Kaketshir Mungdang (AKM). It is nearly four years since the educated unemployed Ao youths took to business enterprises in the town. And the change is unmistakable.
And today with the active initiative of the Entrepreneurs Associates, the first Entrepreneurs Associates Thrift and Credit Cooperative Federation Ltd, Mokokchung zone, is set to reach higher with entrepreneurial expertise and experiences from the Entrepreneurs Associates and also micro-finances provided by them to aspiring young entrepreneurs of the town.
The Entrepreneurs Associates Thrift and Credit Cooperative Federation Ltd aims to reach out to the educated unemployed youths by giving them financial help and also training them on business skills. That way they can become self-reliant and self-employed youths in the society.
The Entrepreneurs Associates of Nagaland Neichute Doulo disclosed to media persons that EATACOL office would be fully functional by the second week of September this year. The Mokokchung zone will be looking after other neighboring districts like Longleng, Tuensang and even Mon. The Entrepreneurs Associates aims to mobilize around 5000 youths in Nagaland and to train 100 aspiring entrepreneurs in Mokokchung town. Doulo said the youths would be taught on business skills and on micro-financing.
The new venture would target not only the existing entrepreneurs of the town but would also ‘push’ the aspiring young entrepreneurs to take to business through financing and also through giving of basic entrepreneurial skills.
Highlighting the importance of Mokokchung town in their new venture, Doulo said the town has eighty percent local entrepreneurship participation since Survival 2007. Earlier before 2007, the local presence in trade and commerce in the town was only thirty percent, he said.
During the Survival 2007 campaign, illegal Bangladeshi migrants in Mokokchung town, who were running most of the shops in the town, were chased out by the Ao Students’ Conference (genuine Indian citizens were left untouched). The educated unemployed Ao youths took to starting businesses. The action of the Ao youth taking to business was something which could be emulated by the people of other districts. The new model speaks of self-reliance and self sustenance and not depending on government jobs alone.
Duolo maintained that Mokokchung has also been chosen the first zonal office of the EATACOL basing on historical attributes. Mokokchung has been the first in propagating Christianity, propagating education and now the Entrepreneurs Associates wants Mokokchung to be the first in propagating livelihood creation. Besides, Mokokchung was selected as because the Year of Entrepreneurship was launched by Nagaland government from this district.
Doulo asserted that the launching of the EATACOL is just the beginning and expressed hope that more and more youths would be benefited by the endeavor in the field of entrepreneurship.
