Kanili Kiho
DIMAPUR, JULY 19
AS the number of women entrepreneurs in the country shows a steady rise, it appears that Naga women are still critically underrepresented in private businesses. The reason may be obviously either due to limited access to finance and training, or even lack of individual interest.
While most women are living economic life to their fullest, many are surviving amid competition under a patriarchal society. In such conditions to see Naga women entrepreneurs happy and contented in their commercial ventures, comes as a breath of fresh air.
As they say, ‘if it is in you, you can make it happen.’ This reporter had the opportunity of meeting inspiring lady entrepreneurs. Several young and old out there, shaping their own destiny . One of them is Aien Longchar who owns and runs a boutique at Midland in Dimapur.
“Blizz by Aien Longchar”, is a brand that rings a bell to every fashion loving women and the wives-to-be in Dimapur. She designs apparel for all ages, to gorgeous wedding gowns. She was among the first to set up a label shop in Nagaland. The boutique sells almost 90% of her designs.
Longchar opened her boutique in 2006 with a loan extended by her parents. Since then, the designer has not looked back. When queried about how she sees her business ten years from now. ‘It will go on for as long as she can envision,’ she explained. ‘Passing it on to generations’ is clearly on her beautiful mind.
A graduate from Delhi University, Longchar took up designing from JD Institute of Fashion technology in Delhi. She worked as an intern in Orchid Oversea in New Delhi owned by renowned designers Rohit Bal and Rajiv Bal. It is worth mentioning here that she is the first north-easterner to have worked there.
Hard work supported her in every step. Her competitive edge, she explained, was that her clothes were mostly handworks, with the finest of details. That is a lot of hard work again.
Summer clothes sell quickly; she fills in, while winter clothing is sent off to other places too. Her customers come in from Tura and Shillong in Meghalaya, and neighboring Assam too, exclusively for their wedding dresses. On the number of workers, she says three are enough for summer while she hires more for winter clothes.
Her message to aspiring youngsters is “to work really hard, have faith, and to aim for one thing and just go for it.”
Another entrepreneur was Ethel Lotha, a cheerful lady who is contributing her bit to growth of women entrepreneurs in the state. ‘Any idea is a good idea if you believe in it.’ This belief best describes the lady when this reporter caught up with her.
Ethel Lotha, a hair and makeup artist owns a salon ‘Hair City’ near the Holy Cross traffic point in Dimapur. After her diploma from Lambency Chrysalis Academy in Noida and working in some renowned companies out there, she felt best to return home and start something on her own. She had dreamed of starting her own venture for a long time.
Single mother with a son, Lotha has sure come a long way. She started off without any financial help. She thanks God for always being by her side and making her dream a success. The salon is quite young yet gaining popularity with its professional service. When queried about if given a chance to start over her business, whether she would do things differently, she replied with a “no, no I wouldn’t change a thing, I like it the way it is.”
On extortion and unabated taxations making its rounds in Dimapur, the beautician said she has faced it too. But being a Naga by blood living in her own homeland, it would be a shame that she fell prey to extortionists, she said. Her smart talks help her, she explained with a laugh. She is grateful that her business helps her meet the daily needs of her family with hope for a better tomorrow. Besides, the young mother hopes to upgrade her salon into a unisex institution so gentlemen can also try out new and professional care.
The market is not always confined to fashion or beauty. At the New Market in Dimapur, otherwise largely a domain for non local vendors and traders a Naga widow sits making ends meet by selling local vegetables.
Sepongla Sangtam has been in this business for the past seven years. A mother of four children – three of them already married – she has come a long way providing for a family whose breadwinner passed away 30 years ago.
With her humble sale, Sangtam said it was not a question of profit or loss; she had no choice. On days when she feels weak, the need for her family drives her on. She will tell you that selling vegetables is no small feat. Almost 60 years old , she has a beautiful disposition and only prays to God that she would stay healthy enough and keep on supporting her family.
There is little or no help that these entrepreneurs get from the government of Nagaland mired in financial and economic crisis currently. One cannot but only be inspired by the hardworking ladies who singlehandedly support themselves and their families. They are also helping generating revenue for the state.
Home-based businesses, boutiques, and custom fit lifestyle businesses are rising in Nagaland. One can see a sharp contrast between following one’s dreams and another working to meet ends meet.
There is a ray of hope to free themselves from the limitations of a male-dominated society. With the digital space too expanding, one hope to see the number of such driven women to keep growing and give a chance to the Naga homeland to see brighter days.
