The JICA India, Mid-Term Review mission visited Wokha on May 14 to inspect the ongoing project activities undergoing under Nagaland Forest Management Project (NFMP) funded by Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in Wokha District.
As part of the Mid-Term Review Mission officials from JICA-India, Ishikawa Saya, JICA-India Representative, and Sushma Sen Adarshi, JICA-India Development Specialist visited Wokha accompanied by Temjen Yabang, IFS, Chief Conservator of Forests and Project Director (AFP), Nagaland: Kohima and Project Management Consultants under the project led by Pravanjan Mohapatra, Team leader and CD expert, Dr. Sudarsan Dey, Capacity Building Expert and Shailendra Kumar, Livelihood Expert.
The visiting team was welcomed at Divisional Forest Office, Wokha after which an interaction session was held with the Self-Helped Group (SHG), FNGOs (Natural Nagas), Divisional Management Unit Wokha (DMU) support staff and Field Management Unit (FMU). The interaction session was chaired by Suman W M Sivachar, IFS, DMU head cum DFO, Wokha Forest Division and Doyang Plantation Division where he gave the welcome address followed by introduction.
During the interaction session SHG representatives from New Changsu, Yikhum, Longsa, Wokha, New Wokha and Phiro Village gave a brief highlight about their Income Generating Activates (IGA) and how the project has helped them improved their livelihoods. They also shared their experiences on capacity building and the skills and knowledge they have developed and learned through the project. The SHGs further shared their challenges and grievances and further thanked the NFMP, JICA for giving them the opportunity for implement the project in their villages.
Sushma Sen Adarshi, JICA India Development Specialist, shared her thoughts and further encouraged the SHGs to take up Cluster Based Income Generating Activities (IGA) to improve their productivity and marketability of their products.
Shikawa Saya, JICA India Representative, also shared her thoughts and encouraged Divisional Management Unit Wokha, to explore various activities besides Capacity Building to further enhance the SHGs skills and knowledge.
The Project Management Consultants (PMC) also highlighted about the importance of Banking linkage, Market linkage, Institutional Strengthening and capacity building for the SHGs.
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FNGOs, Natural Nagas, Team Leader Ethel Odyuo also gave a brief highlight about the project activities FNGOs, Natural Nagas have undertaken since the inception of the FNGOs into NFMP, JICA. She shared how the FNGOs have help in community mobilisation, Microplan preparation and Livelihood activities.
Thanking the SHGs for their time, Temjen Yabang, IFS, informed that the DMU Wokha SHG are one of the best performing SHGs in Nagaland under NFMP, JICA and further encouraged Divisional Management Unit Wokha (DMU) to keep on doing the good work. He further requested the SHGs not to drop their Income Generating Activates (IGA) under NFMP, JICA and assured the SHGs that Project Management Unit (PMU) are working on the feasibility of increasing the Revolving Funds (RF) for the SHGs Income Generating Activates (IGA).
Suman W M Sivachar, IFS, DMU head cum DFO, Wokha Forest Division and Doyang Plantation Division also highlighted the challenges under Divisional Management Unit Wokha (DMU) and further thanked JICA for the assistance and for visiting Divisional Management Unit Wokha (DMU) as part of their Mid-term review mission. He further thanked the Project Management Unit (PMU), Nagaland: Kohima, Field Management Unit Heads (FMU), FMU field staff, DMU support staff, FNGOs (Natural Nagas) under Wokha, for their effort.
The visiting team then inspected “Tssentsü Nature Outlet” showcasing 42 SHGs products from 14 villages under NFMP, JICA Village. “Tssentsü Nature Outlet” which is first of its kind in Nagaland under NFMP, JICA was a special interest for the JICA Mid-Term Review Mission team.
The JICA Mid-Term Review Mission under Divisional Management Unit Wokha (DMU) concluded with ceremonial planting of saplings at the Divisional Forest Premises by the visiting team.
