NEN believes that conservation alone is not complete without communities supporting the very idea itself. A balance is sought between conservation and sustainable model of livelihood which supports the surrounding environment. With this perspective in mind, NEN has been able interact with men and women of Phek district, Nagaland, on issues of food security. 

Today NEN has been able to mobilise 300 community members towards, food security, health security and addressing the adversities of climate variations through its different programmes. It has enabled women to participate in the biodiversity Boards along with some decision making capacities. NEN is promoting local crop seed varieties in Nagaland along with traditional knowledge on use of water, forest and land. This has led to creation of livelihood opportunities for women in the region and paved way to get access to economic gains.

Rita Banerji teahing Eco-club children to take photographs	Eco-club children exploring wildlife during the course on environment

An Eco-club for children has been established to teach the principles of conservation. We must remember that wild life conservation is not in the cards in Nagaland and the sight of an animal or a bird is rare in the villages and towns. And yet efforts like conservation are conveyed to young children through interactive learning tools, games and camera work. 

NEN Chizami with Dusty Foot productions, Delhi, started the wildlife education programme for children titled “Under the Canopy” in Chizami village since December 2009. The first course on environment was with teachers and youth leaders. In 2010, the ‘course on environment’ held at NEN Resource Centre from December 7-11 was with 20 children. The group also has 2 young NEN volunteers (20 year olds Tshetsholo and Kewekhrozo) who will be leading the team in different activities of the Eco - Club.

Earlier in March 2010, 16 Village Council members and youth leaders from Nagaland visited Assam’s Kaziranga National Park as a part of Kaziranga exposure tour. 

Under the Canopy:  A window to Wildlife Education in North East India.

Compiled by Payal Molur 2009, Dusty Foot Productions. Please contact dustyfootindia@yahoo.com for copies.

NRM Project in Andhrejuli village, Assam

NEN undertook a project, funded by the Hongkong & Shanghai Banking Corporation Ltd (HSBC) called: Community Livelihood through Herbal Processing & Production. The support came as a mark of HSBC's entry into the north east region with a new office in the Guwahati city of Assam. Coincidentally the date was March 8th, 2010 which happens to be International Women's Day too. And with this NEN started the project involving almost 70 women in the village of Andhrejuli, (Kamrup District), in learning ways of herb collection, processing them and finally marketing them in the market. The Project was successful in the sense that women learned the process though they were not able to sustain themselves as a group. Instead, they  got into the ‘business’ individually and made all efforts to attend every event, fairs and state exhibitions.  The centre set up in the village is complete and it is being used by the women for meetings and discussions. While the project is over, NEN continues to influence women to be sensitive about working collectively for earnings and achieving greater bargaining power in decision making.

Construction of NEN Centre in Andhrejuli	Kunti Bora's training on herbs in Andhrejuli

The North Eastern Development Finance Institution (NEDFI) gave a small grant to NEN towards training on herbal enterprise and promotion of public health practices among women’s groups in 3 districts of Assam. A resource person, Kunti Bora, who is well experienced in this area of work conducted a series of training. The result was successful as women have started selling raw and final products to larger organizations, earning considerable income through the season. The Project ended in December 2010.