Aonglar Women Welfare Society marks 25 years of community welfare, women’s empowerment and elderly care in Mokokchung
SUNGRATSU — The Aonglar Women Welfare Society (AWWS) celebrated its silver jubilee at the Aonglar Elderly Care Home in Sungratsu village, Mokokchung district, on Thursday, marking 25 years of service in community welfare, women’s empowerment, elderly care and social development.
Established on May 16, 2001, by five like-minded women from Sungratsu, the society has grown to 25 members who continue to undertake various community initiatives and social welfare programmes.
Speaking at the celebration, Sungratsu Village Council chairman S Bendang Aier commended the members for their dedication and commitment to public service.
Describing them as a “fountain of love” who give back to society without reservation, he urged the community to extend all possible support to the society so that it could strengthen its humanitarian activities and expand its reach beyond the village.
Speaking on behalf of the spouses of AWWS members, Toshitsungba Aier, IPS (Retired), said the church’s mission should extend beyond church construction, evangelism and pulpit preaching to include humanitarian activities such as elderly care and de-addiction centres.
He urged the church and the public to regard the Aonglar Elderly Care Home, a charitable institution, as a collective responsibility and contribute towards its upkeep and service to senior citizens.
Highlighting the mental barriers and cultural resistance surrounding institutional elderly care, he observed that while families provide love and care, senior citizens often need companionship that family members may not always be able to offer. He said care homes could help address this need.
Bendang Lemtur, IPS (Retired), outlined a vision for the society’s future, suggesting that the care home, which currently depends on charity and members’ contributions, be developed into a self-sustaining project.
He also proposed inducting more like-minded and committed women into the society and expanding its centres to other towns and cities.
The jubilee sermon was delivered by Dr. T Chujang Aier, president of the International Evangelistic Fellowship, on the theme “Conditional Love.”
25 years of service
Since its formation, AWWS has undertaken several initiatives aimed at improving community welfare. In 2001, the society procured 15 units of CGI sheets from the Rural Development Department and donated them to the ‘Nagaland for Christ’ Prayer Home at Naga United Village, Chümoukedima.
From 2008 to 2021, it sponsored a counsellor at Sarasadem Mitsa Prayer Home in Sungratsu for 14 consecutive years and provided initial kitchen utensils and household items to establish the centre. In 2011, it launched a piglet-rearing livelihood project, extending financial assistance to 25 women to start income-generating activities.
The Aonglar Elderly Care Home was inaugurated on January 18, 2014. Initially operating from temporary premises, it shifted to its permanent building in 2019 on land donated by the Sungratsu Village Council. The building was constructed through sustained fundraising by members, with subsequent support from Central government funds.
The home has accommodated 20 residents at different times. Since 2015, the society has also organised monthly day-care programmes for senior citizens, funded entirely by members and well-wishers. Free annual health camps for the elderly have been conducted regularly since 2011.
During the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020, AWWS extended financial assistance to 16 needy individuals in the village and supported the Kohima Old Age Home.
In October 2021, in collaboration with the Good Samaritan Women Society of Kohima, it organised an awareness programme on the national Elderline helpline. Following the initiative, AWWS was selected as the official partner for the National Helpline for Senior Citizens in Mokokchung district.
More recently, on July 21, 2026, around 80 senior citizens attended a Holy Spirit programme at the care home, featuring devotional prayers and sermons.
Reaffirming its commitment on the occasion of the silver jubilee, AWWS said it would continue working towards empowering women, supporting families, caring for senior citizens and building a more inclusive and supportive community.