Sakhabama Diary

(Hello! If you are reading this, I kindly ask you to scroll till the end without skipping any photos).

It was our VII semester(2015). . Time to choose our partners for the 3-month-stay(RAWE programme) in selected four villages,viz. Sakhabama&Kidima(for boys), Kezobasa and Kezobawe(Gilrs).

After chit picking, members of Sakhabama village were:

1. Chingsang Phom
2. Chingak Konyak
3. John Kikon
4. Dipankar Barman
5. Temjensoba Jamir
6. Tage Lampung
7. Bikram Ghimere
8. Kevisilie Metha
9. Debajyoti Basak
10. Sunil Kumar
11. Kewepfu Khape
12. Me, Zara

What is RAWE programme?

The Rural Agricultural Work Experience Programme is organized every year for the Under Graduate studentsr. The main objectives of this programme are:

• To provide opportunities to the students for studying the rural situations.
• To bestow occasions for gaining direct farm experience.
• To study and document the activities of rural artisans / entrepreneurs / Self Help Groups (SHGs).
• To document the Indigenous Technical Knowledge of farmers.
• To gain experience about the preparation of farm and village development plans.

Profile of Sakhabama(information procured from the villagers):

Detail information of Sakhabama(slightly different from what we heard from the villagers) 😇
Click here and here as well

WAIT!! Enough with the lecture.
Enjoy... シ

1. Meeting for RAWE : Mess, utensils, stationery, group leaders... So many things to discuss for them boys.

:

2. First day: We were welcomed by the local leaders. I spoke in normal Nagamese for the first time(Moi laga naam Zara ase. Moi Mizoram para aishe). Later that night we gathered at the town hall and had a wonderful dinner with our host farmers. I had had a conversation with the Church Pastor. I did not realize that I could understand and speak Nagamese that well hahaha. But when one guy told me about my host farmer and how he was busy at his farm, I didn't actually grasp what he was trying to say. :D 

3. Host Farmers:

Host Farmer's House

Host Farmer (Medusahe Kezo) - Their house is the last on this end. 

Host farmer's wife

Basak and his host farmer

We watched almost all Arsenal games here. (Basak's host farmer's)

Sunil and his host farmer

Bikram and his host farmer(Right to Bikram) -He's  90+ years old and still goes to his field daily.

Inside my host farmer's house

Chingak with his host farmer

This was my actual host farmer. Since he didn't speak Nagamese, his son took the trouble of being a host farmer. 

4. Exhibition: Before we were ready, Exhibition hit us. We were not told about the protocol and process of the programme(and we didn't ask); it was almost a disorganized one. But we survived. hehe... We explained the items we prepared. After the programme, one lady told me that I spoke pretty well in Nagamese and that she thought I couldn't even understand properly. All my group mates were very talented, creative and diligent. We worked tirelessly and prepared items close to 150. These are only some of the items we prepared for the exhibition.

By Chingak

By Chingsang

Basket by Sunil, Rack and Dustbin by Chingak

Kevi's products

Basket by Lampung

Spoons by Dipankar. Penstand by me and Lampung.

By  Lampung

By me and Basak

Kevi explaining Silage

Mouse trap. (Fill the bucket. A mouse will climb up to eat a piece of food kept on the rolling bottle and will fall off inside the water and drown screaming, "help!!!!help!!!!)

Sunil and Dipankar working hard

Matches on frame by Lampung

Sunil and Lampung

Village map by Asu, twig by Lampung and a cock by Kewe

Handing over the product 

5. Host farmers' fields: No words for these... mesmerizing....... 

Way home from the field. Hanging at the back of a truck was their first experience... and they were scared to death.

After clicking the photo the woman said, "Mezaho" which means "Thank you" in their dialect. 

Paddy harvesting day... 

 The owner's wife(my host farmer's wife) cooked pork for all the people who came to help.  Pork is good, all the time. All the time, pork is good :)

6. Demonstrations: We were given topics to study and explain them to the villagers. Our demonstrations were carried out at the town hall. We always worked extremely hard, especially at the week before those two demonstrations. Our materials were carried to the town hall(literally at the top of the hill) by Ato's pick up(Ato - A young father who stayed next door. He was very kind and helpful from the very 1st day). 

    We were expected to explain things in Nagamese, and since our team comprised of many non-nagas, we sure had some funny moments with the language. :D

Chingak on ZECC(more about ZECC about zecc here )

RAWE Coordinator Dr. Jha

Bikram in action

Skit showing time. Happy day for me as we acted the script I wrote. We practiced only verbally but still they executed perfectly.  (I was the narrator).
Villagers had a hearty laugh. 

With the only transport

Tage Lampung - He who is more fluent in Nagamese than he is in English. 

Dipankar demonstrating "preparation of vermi compost"

Second and last demonstration.
Chingak giving vote of thanks on behalf of all the students.
Some classmate girls attended the program.

The then Dean

7. Work: In the first few weeks we worked so hard that we regularly slept at 8pm. 🕗  Working together but competing  secretly against one another was fun yeah. :) 

8. School:Upon hearing Kezobawe girls giving free classes to the local students, we were impressed and wanted to do the same too.

9.  Equipment they use in farming.

11. Trip: Visiting other villages by walking was one of the best memories...

Dipankar, Dambera and Tage collecting Azolla at Kezobasa.

Chef from Kezobasa

Dropping friends.

From Kezobasa to Kezobawe

Tage and Aren in Kezobawe

Kezobawe 

Unexpected meeting at Kezo town

Kidima

Way to Kidima

Kidima

Kidima

Kidima

Kidima

Kidima

Sitting room of Kezobawe

Definition of "having fun"

Saying goodbye to Kezobasa friends

Jackfruit time

12. Miscellaneous: 

A wanderer sleeping in the kitchen on Asu's mat with my blanket on a cold night.

People were so kind to us that we almost never bought any vegetables.

Sunday Premier League was conducted every Sunday afternoon for a whole year.
(Bikram as the goalkeeper.)

Chingak flying high to kick off grapefruit. The landing was rough though. hahaha

No fridge No problem.

Helping out in decorating the church before World Sunday School Day/

Volleyball court. Almost all guys play volleyball here.

Bikram VS Basak. 

Our very own Chingak's wallpaper.

Tea shop opposite to our house.

Sir A.K.Verma checking out our water source.

Last day in the village. Women gathered to entertain us, They were amaaaaaazing. 

Our toilet. Two minutes walk. :D

#carol #bonfire

Watching volleyball

Water source

13. Farewell programme:

14. Departing.......

Truth be told, we cried our hearts out. :D :D It was tough to say goodbye. They loved up deeply and treated us so well. I've never encountered a person better and more kind-hearted than these people are. Sakhabama will forever stay in our hearts.