Seeds of Change: Empowering Rural Manipur with RAAM

Rural Advancement Association Manipur (RAAM) curve to uplift the underprivileged of the rural people. We focus on to eradicate the poverty in the rural areas by creating more opportunities and to make them self-reliant through capacity building, skill development, promoting local productions etc. We are working on imparting skills in various field works as skill development is one of the basic requirements for the rural people, since many are lacking skills in their work which cause a hindrance for their work progression. Protecting wildlife and safeguarding the environment is one of the major factors of our Association. We look towards to protect wildlife especially which are in endanger and safeguard the environment through various strategies to stop deforestation and promote planting more trees. Women empowerment is one important prevailing factor to enhance it, to make women to involved and take part in various decision-making platforms. Bringing up children in a healthy and positive lifestyle is an immense requirement as many children are facing malnutrition and many children went astray with the arrival of different technologies. Collaborating with civil societies, farmers Groups, SHGs etc.

We have done a series of activities in the past 4 years are as follows:

1. DISTRIBUTION OF CARDAMOM SEEDS: Cardamom Seeds distributed to the Farmers in Several Villages. To help and uplift the rural people in order to create income generation for the villagers, we have distributed green cardamom seeds to hundreds of farmers in Senapati District, as hill areas of Manipur is suitable for growing different types of fruit trees.

2. ORIENTATION PROGRAM: The Orientation program conducted by Rural Advancement Association Manipur covers various topics by the Members like the strategic and action plans to uplift the underprivileged people of the rural areas. The ways which we can transform the rural areas. Some Members spoke on importance of punctuality and time management for the success of any activity, urging everyone to be punctual. Time is an important factor and we should put into use the time properly stated by a member. The Members further talks on the importance of good personality development, as the traits of efficient personality bring success in any activity. The Members stated to develop the habit of good personality. Team work and cooperation is one important aspect to carry out activities successfully. The members stated that Team work can make things easier and reduce the burden of work done by an individual. The Member stated commitment, hard work, sacrifices and dedication with the work are some important ingredients to fulfil the vision of the Association.

3. DISTRIBUTION OF COVID RELIEF RATION: Covid Relief Ration distributed by Rural Advancement Association Manipur to several villages, reaching out to more than 500 households who are facing numerous difficulties due to prolong Covid lockdown and restrictions. Many wage earners and those vulnerable people had undergone immense hardships since their dependency on earning daily wage basis has been put off as they are unable to move out and do their daily task. The relief ration bring a light moment of smile to those who are restless as they could not able to meet their daily needs. The Covid Relief Items include Rice, Pulses, Sugar, Tea, detergents, cocking oil etc.

4. MEDICAL EQUIPMENT DISTRIBUTION: RAAM Distributed Covid Medical Equipments to some Primary Health Centres like Phaibung Primary Health Centre, Khongdei Primary Health Centre and Bendramei Primary Health Centres as these primary health centres face shortage of basic Equipment to fight Covid-19 pandemic. Equipment including Oxygen Concentrators, PPE kit, Face Mask, Hand Gloves, Face Shield, Digital Thermometers, BP Monitoring Instrument, Glucometer. Etc., to help the health workers who risk their lives for the people and to help the people to reduce Covid transmission and protect from Covid-19 during the pandemic.

5. PROVIDING TRAINING TO FARMERS: Training on Seedling, Growing Saplings and Distributing small Plastic bags to grow fruit trees sapling to the Farmers encouraging large farming for commercial purposes in several villages. This will help the farmers to sustain themselves and yield more harvest in their farming activities.

6. CHILDREN’S DAY CELEBRATION: Celebrating and facilitating the students during Children’s Day who Excel in their studies and students who are from Poor families. To encourage the students in this competitive era and to toil hard and strive for excellence, we have facilitated and presented some gift as a token of concern.

7. CLEANLINESS DRIVE: Rural Advancement Association Manipur carried out cleanliness Drive in and around Senapati to promote clean living for better health and protect environment from its pollution.

8. AWARENESS PROGRAM ON FINANCIAL INCLUSION: Creating awareness and providing information on various Government Schemes and insurances which many villagers and farmers are ignorance of such benefits. We are imparting the knowledge and guiding them so that the actual deserving people gets the benefits which are meant for the poor. The far off interior and remote villagers and farmers are not well accessible to get the require information in order to access to various Government schemes and benefits.

9. INTER-HOSTEL EDUCATIONAL SEMINAR: RAAM organises Inter-hostel educational seminar with several hostels stressing the importance of Education. We strive to raise the literacy rate as it is the backbone in the society since the rural area has very less literacy rate. Motivating the students to have a clear focus to achieve in their future career. We were also focusing on creating awareness on ill effects of using intoxicants as many students are being derailed by it. Discouraging the students in excessive playing of mobile games and unlimited wasting of time in social media as it harms their career. The seminar includes various competitions like Quiz, Extempore speech, Debate etc. and facilitated the winners.

10. WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY: Awareness Campaign on Safeguarding the Environment, Wildlife Protection and Afforestation. As the climate is changing unprecedentedly, creating awareness is of paramount important for every individual to take action on saving our environment. We took out the awareness drive passing the message to the people to avoid those which damages our environment, at the same time urging the people to plant more trees and protect and wildlife.

11. RELIEF ASSISTANCE PROVIDED TO MANIPUR CONFLICT DISPLACED PEOPLE: Manipur ethnic crisis causes untold suffering to the thousands of people which force them to leave their houses as their houses were demolished, burnt or destroyed and taking shelter in the relief camps. Many of them have them been killed as well. Thus, to show them our concern the suffering of the people, we have provided some basic necessities to some relief camps like, Rice, Dal, Vegetables, Clothes, cooking oil etc., also provided some notebooks and pens to the students.

12. DIGITAL AND FINANCIAL LITERACY AWARENESS PROGRAM: The Importance of Digital Technology that has impacted in our daily life awareness program was conducted in several schools and colleges in Manipur. To make aware and let the students learn the basics course in making use of the Technology, especially operating basic computer functions and its courses, which is essential in every aspects of our lives. Knowing how to operate and make use like Microsoft word, Microsoft excel and Microsoft PowerPoint is paramount in almost every field. Moreover, financial literacy is one of the fundamental require knowledge from the young age. Proper financial management and knowledge be it at home, business or any organisation is a key step to run it smoothly. We are bound to face the problem if and when we are ignorance in managing financial matters. Thus, the program was to create such kind of awareness to the students’ community.

13. INITIATING TUITION CENTRES: Education is the backbone in the society and the root that support for all progress and development. We are extending our support for the children education through initiating tuition centres particularly for the weaker section of the society. To motivate them and creating awareness the importance of proper education to every child. More than 60 students are providing with extra learning under our guidance in support of their education. Many of the children from poor families are deprived of basic education as their parents are unable to provide and afford for their children education. We are on the plan to initiate more tuition centres and provide basic education of the underprivileged students in the days to come to improve the low literacy rate and to have a better future career for the students.