Temjen Pongen~ Living Life to the Fullest

He calls himself a ‘traveller’, whose one goal in life remains living it to the fullest. Temjen Pongen has certainly found freedom after years

 of being blinded by addiction and enduring its brutality for almost a decade.
Being the only son in the family did not change the fact that his tender years are smeared by realities of drug and alcohol addiction. As he traverses back to this bitter journey, he recalls being introduced to RP Pill when he was in class V.
“I was part of the school football team, and because this drug induces stamina, I fell for it,” Temjen confesses.
Following this instance, he became a regular drug user and an alcohol addict, literally without hope of recovery. By the time, he reached standard VII, he gave up school and studies altogether. But deep within, he professes, that he had always wanted to change even as he says that he always knew that he was the one who had the power to turn his life around.
He has struggled through so many years as an addict, and has sometimes landed up in camps, rehabilitation centres, and even been behind bars.
“I overdosed in 2000,” he states matter-of-factly, but one can see the greatest relief that comes from his life-changing experience that would later go on to make him a blessing.
It was probably a certain alcoholic camp he attended with 39 others that decided his fate for him, for he also confesses that he really wanted to do something good in life. His sweetest prayer, as he remembers is truly asking God, “If you are really God, save me”. Indeed, prayers made in faith never go in vain.
He attended Bible School in Calcutta for a 4-month course but through it all, he says, “I never imagined that I would be preaching someday, but it is the perfect plan of God.”
Looking barely the 31 years that he is, ever since he gave up drugs and alcohol, Temjen has been instrumental in the lives of many youths and has over the years been invited as a Resource Person for 40-50 camps in a year in several parts of the state, the country and beyond borders.
When asked how he managed to give up addiction, he simply says, “It was me who decided and my future is bright.”
As for the countless instances of addiction in the State, his solution seems to lie in giving them a chance to make mistakes and learning. And talking from personal experience and recalling the troubled times, he says, “There were numerous worries; I had a tough time meeting people because I always thought they were judging me...”
Towards this end, he goes on to say that youths under bondage of various addictions need love. He adds: ‘Church is for the sinners but we make it appear as though it is for the righteous.’
“I used to run away if I see a Pastor or a Deacon during my days of addiction,’ he ruefully states, while emphasising that they (churches) should truly walk with troubled youth rather than focussing only on Sunday preaching.
As a living testimony of change from Drug & Alcohol addiction to a fruitful life, it is Temjen’s desire to see our people judging less and giving a chance for addicts to express themselves and come to a point of realisation.
“Give them love and an opportunity to express themselves, and know their roots...everybody has a future, only we are not finding one,” he expresses, even as he insists that addicts are often with a good heart but the problem lies with society's inability to accept them. ‘If you are into drugs, you are the worst in the society’, is a message we tend to portray, he says.
On family, he observes that many parents feel, “My child has to change his/her company.” However, he sought to point out that it is not necessarily the friends but their child who is also at fault.
He strongly feels that parents, whom we see as God providing us good homes and education, should also be good counsellors and spend quality time with their children. He laments the fact that many bad habits start from home where parents gamble in front of their children, making them run such errands as buying paan/tobacco or liquor, or some, who do not seem to mind fighting in front of their children...
“It is very sad that having good family time, sharing and praying together are disappearing. Parents need to change themselves first before teaching their children to change,” he asserts.
Temjen also feels that youth today ‘are dying because they are giving their talents to the Church but not their lives to God’.
As to why he thinks alcohol abuse is such a problem in the State, he simply points out that we generally teach that ‘it is a sin to drink’. For that matter, even tea can be an addiction, he reasons.
The realistic and effervescent young man further holds ‘boring preaching’ as one of the reasons why today’s youth discard church services while insisting on bringing life to church by changing ideas and tuning them to relevant times while, of course, feeding them with the right messages.
As for him, it has not been easy but he has learned to choose the finer things in life. He also says that it amazes him that he manages to survive in the capital town without a regular pay. “The most magical part is that God provides,” he expresses with a thankful heart.
“I have my ups and downs, and sometimes I may not even have a single paisa, but I am free now, living life in its fullness,” is what he has to say. 
Interestingly, this young man whose formal education stopped at class VII never went to college, speaks better English than many graduates or0postgraduates, and it amazes him that he has had the opportunity to visit all the colleges in Nagaland most times as a Resource Person besides been invited to Bhutan, Nepal, Darjeeling, Kalingpong, and many other states in India to speak.
“God really answers our prayers...”
“There were times when I used to run away when people ask me ‘what’s your name?’ but I’ve learnt not to care what people think of me...I make mistakes, but fine, I will learn from it,” he says. This is exactly the kind of attitude he proclaims will change addicts in the State.
“Honestly speaking, giving up drugs and alcohol is easier than changing my character...I am still struggling and learning everyday,” he acknowledges, although by any standard, Temjen is an achiever.

Abokali Jimomi, Going the Organic Way..

Nagaland state may be lagging behind on many fronts, but Abokali Jimomi prefers to look upon it as a ‘blank canvas’ that is waiting to be painted.

“We talk of no development, no proper market or infrastructure, but at the same time, it is an opportunity for somebody to try something new,” states the MBA graduate from the University of Liverpool in the United Kingdom who returned home last year.
She is the brain behind ‘Organic Nagaland’, an organisation which was formed early this year with its focus on networking local organic growers, training them and empowering Naga men and women at the grassroots level. In the process, she has imparted several trainings to Naga farmers, and in collaboration with the Central Institute of Horticulture, she has also taken them to Bangalore as part of imparting them with more knowledge about organic inputs, market, quality certification, integrated pest management, network with organic enthusiasts etc, in this aspect.
Her goal for now lies in concentrating on the local area first and eventually local produce.
But as she studies the ground realities, she feels a little disheartened to see our local markets flooded by non-local produce and ruefully says, “We have the land and the potential to produce but all our wealth are spent elsewhere.”
“We have to make concerted efforts to make local produce available all through the year...if we can capture 20% of our market, or even 5% for that matter, it is going to grow”, she asserts. She passionately adds, “Let us get vegetables from our own farms to our kitchens first.”
Observing that 90% of our people live in rural areas and villages, engaging themselves in basic activities, she says that there is immense capability and potential but expresses concern over whether we are effectively making use of these resources.
“We need to empower ourselves, produce our own food...” says Abokali while pointing out that people in Nagaland buy everything from outside. Even farmers are now leaving their farming profession saying ‘let us stop because we do not want to work anymore, she adds
“Why are we not using the creativity and the originality?” she questions as she delves in deeper and voicing discontentment over the stigma that the rush for government jobs has generated. She lamented the existing mindset among our people which views only white collar government jobs as the one super prestigious goal.
It is also her aspiration to involve educated unemployed youths in her endeavour to achieve her goal of promoting organic food while insisting that entrepreneurship is basically about generating employment although she realises that doing that is going to be a bit of a challenge as even those who studied agriculture do not practically want to go back to the fields.
However, despite everything, Abokali believes that there is huge potential for organic produce because it is ‘chemical free, it tastes better, and is good for the soil’. “It is about the soil actually,” she adds as she dwells once more on the organic input, organic manure, and explains further that as we don’t throw chemicals into it, it helps preserve our ecosystem and our environment.
“It is the most sustainable form of agriculture,” she maintains.
And yet onto another dream of hers, which she is already pursuing, is the documentation of the Sumi Oral Traditions, a research project aimed at reviving Sumi language, culture and traditional practices to restore a stronger cultural identity and cultural self-worth of the Sumi people. Talking about project, she says this has always been close to her heart while expressing concern that there is no documented history in this regard. Language, she feels, is also on the verge of extinction, and although, there is a revival of culture, there has been a long gap.
Ever since she returned from the UK, she has been busying herself in documenting the rich legacy of culture, visiting village after village in Zunheboto district and, at the same time, working towards achieving a greater goal through ‘Organic Nagaland’.
Ironically, she grew up thinking she would become a doctor, it being the ultimate ambition every parent had for their children. But somewhere along the way, she decided she wanted to do something else. “Over the years, I think I came to realise the value of speaking with the person within me,” she says. “I feel life is a discovery till you die, you keep learning about yourself.” And that’s how she decided that she should love what she does.
“I find joy in discovering or creating something new”, she adds.
She is also the brain behind ‘Green Club’ in Zunheboto, which she initiated with a few friends with the aim to spread awareness on environmental issues, promote civic sense among the citizens of the town and to engage young people to take positive action. Following the launch of this club, they have conducted seminars, cleanliness drives and tree plantation with students from different schools and colleges of Zunheboto.
With experience as Assistant Manager- Operations at ICICI Onesource Bangalore for one of UK’s Media and Entertainment giants and later as Manager-Operations at Marlabs Software Pvt. Ltd at Bangalore India, the effervescent lady who grew up in Zunheboto exhibits promise of greater things to come.
With a love for all things poetry, classical music, and an avid writer and traveller herself, interestingly, the idea of running a factory, processing food and doing something for people in the village fascinated her as a kid. This dream, it seems, is already taking shape as she gets down to the basics.