Khukuto Wotsa, a 23-year-old from Mishilimi village, runs a barber shop in Pughoboto town and has a passion to serve God since his childhood.

Coming from a family struggling to make ends meet, Wotsa is the eldest child in the family with four younger sisters and two younger brothers.

Wanting to serve God as a pastor since his young days, he said, “I took the decision with God to serve him since my childhood and wanted to study theology but did not have the means to till last year”. Despite all the struggles of life, Wotsa is ever thankful to the almighty for his countless blessings.

“Part-time barber”

Wotsa learned how to cut peoples hair with a scissor which his mother had bought for his father to cut the children’s hair. Paying a monthly rent of INR 800 in the heart of Pughoboto town for his barber shop, Wotsa informed that the shop will be completing two years in June.

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Informing that he started cutting peoples hair when he was in class 8 to be independent and not add to the family’s financial problems, he said that he went from house to house to cut peoples hair and earn his pocket money, while also working as a ‘hajira’ whenever work is available.

My mother is part of a prayer group and works as a fixed-pay worker in Zunheboto. She gets paid INR 5000 and is the only one contributing to the family income so I wanted to help out my mother also, he informed and added that even though his father does not contribute to the family income ‘he is a good person’.

He informed that he helps out his younger siblings monetarily, even though it may not be much, with their pocket money, buying their clothes and some household needs.

“Good money being a barber”

The richest people in the world are barbers and cobblers, the camera-shy Wotsa said. Even though people don’t want to take up this kind of work, there is good money to be made in cutting people’s hair, he added.

There is no shame in doing any type of work if you earn honestly and can be self-dependent. Work with what talents you have be it as a barber, cobbler, labourer etc. This will also help in the future when you have a family, Wotsa said in reply to a question about unemployed youths.

Khukuto Wotsa at work at his salon in Pughoboto, Zunheboto. (Photo: Inakavi Kasho)

Talking about his education, Wotsa stated that he was an “excellent” student in academics till class 8 and informed that in high school – Class 9 and 10 – his academic performance dropped because there was no Maths teacher and a lack of Science subject teacher in Government High School, Pughoboto.

I failed my matriculation in the first attempt but managed to clear it in my second attempt even though I failed in Maths, securing 3rd Division, he said and smilingly added, “Maths is not my forte”.

It was my fault too, we say there were no teachers but we also didn’t study, he humbly retorted.

He went to Government Higher Secondary School, Tseminyu for his higher secondary studies but had to drop-out in class 12 due to family problems.

‘I wanted to at least have a Class 12 pass certificate so I opted to study through open schooling and cleared it’, he added.

“Passion to serve God”

Talking about his relationship with God, Wotsa stated that he had and will always look up to God despite his difficulties growing up.

Informing that he had told his mother that he wanted to serve God since childhood, he said, “I did not go around asking for help but through an unseen blessing last year, our pastor called me up and asked me if I wanted to study theology, I said yes and he informed me that there was an anonymous sponsor who was willing”.

Even though my family did not have the means to send me for theology studies, through God, a miracle happened and I will be moving to Dimapur in May/June for my theology, he said.

After getting a sponsor for his theological studies, he stayed at a prayer centre for three days and was further inspired and strengthened to work and spread the work of God.

When queried about his opinion on the upcoming election, he stated, “Election is necessary but one should not sin for it by being greedy. Ideally, one should not sell one’s vote but if by circumstances you have to take money for your vote, then take but also support the candidate honestly”.

Questioned about his future hopes for himself and his family, Wotsa said that he has no worldly needs because he believes that God will open the way for him and will take care of him and his family.