Cod Nerc and impulse NGO network assess impact of refugee support initiatives in Mizoram

The Center for Community Development through Network, Education, Research, Training, Resource Mobilisation, and Capacity Building (Cod Nerc) and Impulse NGO Network, Shillong, organized an impact assessment meeting on Wednesday to evaluate the support provided to refugees in Mizoram.

C. Lalmuanthanga, State Team Leader of Impulse NGO Network and Chairman of Cod Nerc highlighted significant initiatives undertaken in 2023. These included providing six months’ worth of rations to 500 refugee families and donating 100 hospital beds along with medical equipment to the Chief Medical Officer's office in the Champhai district.

In addition, the organizations launched an agroforestry program aimed at refugees and the communities hosting them. Within 317.5 acres, 241 families engaged in cultivating both short- and long-term crops, including oranges and apples. Of these, 38 families cultivated oranges, and 13 focused on apples, while 190 families concentrated on short-term crops.

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Minister of State for Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs, B. Lalchhanzova, emphasized the importance of collaboration between the Mizoram Government and NGOs to extend support to those in need. “NGOs must work together with the departments in a spirit of cooperation with the Government,” he stated. He further praised the impact assessment meeting for fostering effective assistance for refugees and self-help villages.

Chairman of Impulse NGO Network, Tashi Rapten Barfungpa, commended the Agriculture and Horticulture Departments, along with ATMA, for their invaluable contributions. He described the NGO-government partnership in Mizoram as exemplary, suggesting that similar models could be implemented in Sikkim.

As part of the event, Lalchhanzova launched the promotional video of Tribeland Coffee, an entrepreneurial initiative by Impulse NGO Network in collaboration with META, aimed at empowering local communities and promoting sustainable livelihoods.

The meeting showcased the tangible outcomes of coordinated efforts, underscoring the potential for continued progress through NGO and government collaboration.