A collage of various projects and schemes undertaken by Prodigals Home. (Photo Courtesy: Prodigals Home)
Imkongtoshi Longkumer
Dimapur | March 3
Since its establishment, Prodigals Home based in Dimapur has been incessantly working for the welfare of the people and making gigantic efforts to create a better society. Prodigals Home laid its foundation in 1991, playing a key role in advocacy human rights. It is a home for persons with disabilities, prostitution, elder care, rehabilitating child abuse, substance abuse, HIVs/AIDs among IDUs, FSWs and vulnerable children and youth and child-line.
Through its various schemes and projects, Prodigals Home is earnestly putting the best effort to uplift people by making them capable of a better livelihood. They focus on providing various type of vocational training with the aim to make the beneficiaries economically independent and self-reliant.
With the objective to “create and disseminate the means for sustainable livelihood, proper management of natural resources and promote health and environment,” Prodigals Home designs and implements various livelihood-oriented projects.
One of its first projects was the ‘Person disability project’, which according to Naro Longkumer, Office Assistant, Prodigals Home was started in 2007. She claimed that Prodigals Home was one of the “first organizations to work with disabilities in Nagaland.”
Longkumer shares that it has a small project supported by Help Age with 50 aged beneficiaries of aged 60 years and above. Under the project the beneficiaries are given rations, medical care and cash for buying basic necessities in times of personal needs.
The NGO has also expanded its reach to more diverse section of the people to make it more inclusive. In the year 2008, a project on mental health was first established in Chümoukedima, Dimapur. As per the information provided by Longkumer, “there are over 200 estimated cases of different beneficiaries recorded in the year 2020.”
Prodigals Home also works very closely with CHILD HELPLINE which works 24×7. “It is available every now and then to secure children and to give shelter for their better living” including “education and all necessary arrangements.” She also states that child helper works hand in hand with police to be “more secure and confidential.”
She also stated that the beneficiaries of Prodigals Home stay for under their care for a short-term duration of three-month. Even after the three-month period, “follow-up is constant for all beneficiaries to keep a track and eyes on them.”
With the objective to support the livelihood and stability of the beneficiaries, the NGO has been providing different types of vocational training for skill development and also support them by sending to various training centers.
Three decades down the line, Prodigal Home still continues to initiate and develop programmes and projects with the hope of “giving rise to more young minds with potential to see a better state,” Longkumer adds.
The NGO strives to raise a higher awareness about the certain problems that are being ignored. They provide all possible help to give chance for people to tackle their problems. “No voice is left unheard,” she asserts.
The writer is a student of Bachelor Degree in Journalism and Mass Communication at St Joseph University, Nagaland and is currently an intern in The Morung Express.
