The Entrepreneurs Associates (tEA) conducted their “Uplifting Women Street Vendors” Program (UWSVP), in partnership with Capri Loans for the women street vendors on February 26 in Chümoukedima District.

The program commenced in the morning at the Chakhesang Hoho Building, where a combined strength of 50 women turned up from two districts i.e., Chümoukedima and Dimapur, informed a press release issued by tEA. The program was moderated by Chubatemjen, Content Writer at tEA, who sensitized the women on the mission and values of tEA, and the foundation of the Uplifting Women Street Vendors Programme. Kroneilou Chirhah, Convenor of SEWA blessed the program with an invocation.

Tekhengutele Nuh, Project Associate of tEA briefed the women on salvaging a lifestyle that is based on financial literacy and digital awareness. She emphasized on the plentiful benefits of habituating savings and being tech savvy to leverage financial freedom. It was then followed by Imtiwapang Longkumer, Community Mobilizer of tEA who educated the women on the diverse, convenient, and advantageous saving verticals. He apprised the gathering on the many success stories of vendors and entrepreneurs who have found financial liberation through this vertical.

Tsinshe Yimchunger, a Street Vendor began her keynote address by narrating her experiences with regards to the financial linkages provided by tEA and its partners. She proceeded to share the tragic loss of her 4 children during the covid-19 pandemic and her struggles over the years as a street vendor. Tsinshe also recounted the time she lost her home to a gruesome fire on November 13, 2023 at Naharbari, where she lost a lot of her belongings. In the same breath, she also expressed her gratitude to The Entrepreneurs Associates for the mentorship and opening doors for her to rebuild her life from scratch when she had lost all hope.

The program culminated with a vote of thanks from Chubatemjen, followed by felicitation and distribution of QR Codes to 23 Street Vendors. A Similar exercise was carried out on February 21 2024 where a total of 21 QR Codes were distributed to street vendors in Supermarket, Dimapur with the support of Capri Loans, a diversified NBFC listed on the BSE & NSE.

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According to the press release, tEA, in collaboration with Capri Loans, successfully conducted their UWSVP at Wokha Town and Pfusteromi Village (Phek) on February 23 and 24, respectively. Pfusteromi welcomed 58 women street vendors to a short program emphasizing financial literacy, savings, and market linkages. Meanwhile, Wokha hosted 42 participants who received QR codes upon program completion.

The Uplifting Women Street Vendors Program is a flagship program of The Entrepreneurs Associates, launched in October 2017, to empower women involved in the network of marketing farm produce. The program is uniquely to tEA and one of a kind in the entire NER India. It engages with women street vendors, producers who also sell their yields, and aggregators who link rural products with the urban markets.

Till date, tEA has trained and worked with 7000 women street vendors in Nagaland, Manipur, Assam, and Arunachal Pradesh with plans to branch out to other neighboring states in the upcoming days. Under the program, tEA has been providing training on financial & business management, skills training, health and legal services, mentorship and linkages to markets and Zero Interest Loans. tEA hopes that by 2025, 10,000 women street vendors will be impacted under the program.