Chibeni Murry~ Who says Hard Work does not pay?

Among her many dreams, Chibeni Murry was exceptionally drawn to social work. She rationally states that as a kid everybody has dreams and ambitions in life but very few fulfil them. Likewise, she grew up with lots of dreams but confesses that she held a special corner for social work even then.
As one who always wanted to be independent and responsible for herself, it appears that she achieved this feat in her early teens as she started working for an NGO called Transformation Resource Centre while she was still in college. She was part of the Resource Centre for three years as a teacher and recalls it as a challenge because it meant teaching underprivileged children from all corners of slum areas and the downtrodden who had little or no idea about education.

But she also remembers it as as a fulfilling experience, more so, because she was part of the transformation that saw through slum kids to some of the finest schools like CHSS and Bronson.

This she considers her biggest achievement before her career took another turn.
“I never knew my life would take another interesting turning point with the Marriott, until the People Channel recruited for the Pune Marriott in Nagaland. We were about 60 Naga youths who got selected and had gone as the first batch. The interview was a big turning point in my life,” she recollects.
Before delving further into her journey at Marriot, she, however, expresses, “First of all, a Big Thanks to Rozelle Mero MD of The People's Channel who has been bringing opportunities for our Naga youths and helping them achieve so many things in life.”
But almost with a tinge of pain, she adds, “But sad to say that many youths prefer to stay unemployed and live off their parents. They do not want to start anything in life! If we start respecting every work and put a start, there is nowhere else where anyone can work as hard as Naga youths. I'm giving this statement with experience and after witnessing the hard work of our Naga friends. Only if we Naga youths learn to have little patience, humility and take up ownership, then there won't be anyone who'll have to live off their parents but proudly be independent in all aspects.”
Talking of Pune Marriott Hotel and Convention, where she works, she says, “I first started working in the front office as an Associate in Marriott Club but later transferred to Food and Beverage.” As her journey began here, she states that “this was the most challenging task for me because I had to study so much, perform double of that and dedicate all my time”.
She was a server then, until her Food & Beverage Manager, Sushant Rege, insisted on her handling the ‘bar arts’, which, she expresses “was again impossible for me as I had to learn, study and explore every single bit of the bar.” Every day, she feels, was a new day filled with new challenges and tasks, but insists on not giving up. One of the challenges being she never studied Management, but felt the need to prove herself.
“Everything was new to me since I was a complete fresher with no Management background, everything they taught and I learnt was so brand new. From the glass wares to the table setup and the types of services and the sequence…everything was new and so many things which I actually never encountered in my life. It was also a challenge to deal with the local people and learn their culture, traditions and specifically food habits”, she says, while stating there is nothing like axone and smoked pork as a side note. In the meantime, she observes: “It was hard for us to make them realize that Nagaland is a part of India and we are not foreigners…they would always question if Nagaland was a part of India why did we never read in books in Schools? That was actually the question which I always had in my mind, why is "Nagaland" not mentioned in any of the school books?”
And as she puts these thoughts across, she also hopes this would be of a considerate question to be answered for those responsible people.
She strongly believes that the hard work, time and effort she put into her job never went in vain even as she found it fulfilling to have been promoted to Food and Beverage Executive after slogging for one and half years.
Actually, she confesses, “It came as a very big surprise for me because a total fresher with no management background trying to prove myself and competing with dozens of experienced hoteliers and getting selected was an achievement for me.”
Understandably, she feels proud to have got into the industry with nothing but hard work and for being rewarded for the same. Suitably, this is also the message she wishes to convey… “If we put in a little hard work and dedication, we will surely succeed in life. So start with your life's journey and achieve when you're still young because this is your time.”
Someday, “home” is definitely the place she would love to come back to….if only to share whatever she has learnt. ‘I'd love to extend it to our land and contribute in whatever way possible’, she conveys as a last note.

Box & Blossoms

‘Box & Blossoms’ exhibits colour, vibrancy and creativity. It is a reflection of a welcoming culture that young people today delve in by thinking out of the box. A heart warming concept that grew out of a young professional, Sentila Longchar, ‘Box and Blossoms’ was born as a result of her immense interest that is closely embedded to her childhood.

But it was not until 2010 that she thought about turning the unique packaging into production. With a short training that she undertook, Sentila managed to refine the entire process of box making, and eventually started the production of gift boxes ideal for occasions such as Weddings & Anniversaries, Birthdays & Showers, Christmas & Easter, Holidays and any other special event, initially in partnership with YouthNet during June 2010.
Box and Blossoms now operates as a home based production under her supervision. But Sentila fully acknowledges that she owes the success of this creative project to YouthNet, even as she recalls the immense support she received from this organisation, while making special mention of Hekani Jakhalu.
The fine handmade boxes were an attraction during the 2010 Hornbill Festival, which, because of its quality and beauty, also garnered much attention. Some of those who were introduced to the products were obviously taken in by the pretty boxes made of paper that orders immediately followed. But Sentila speaks of a wedding, which she says was the first major order – and it happened in the same year that she started production!
Box and Blossoms, as the name suggests, is a mix and match of two elements - boxes and flowers. But to complete the picture is a creative mind, blending rich ideas, colours, designs, ribbons, flowers, shapes and sizes. In the process of running the production, Sentila Longchar also trained two people in this creative field, and while catering to bigger number of orders, she would employ young people, identifying those who would need it the most.
Such part time employees have included school dropouts besides others who were at loose ends at that moment. While being partially employed in this endeavour, Sentila has encouraged them to pursue their dreams, and it is indeed commendable that in making use of the fleeting opportunity, some of these youths went on to pursue their further studies while some of them went for trainings based on their interests.
Sentila is herself a lawyer by profession, currently practicing at the Guwahati High Court, Kohima Bench. But despite her busy schedule, she still finds time for Box and Blossoms, which, she likens to a favourite hobby that she has never left; something that she pursued in her free time even during college days. As an in-house production for now, she caters to most of the orders by herself mostly in the evenings (after work), although for big orders like weddings, she indulges the help of those she had trained earlier.
She is especially excited with a new concept she introduced to box and blossoms this year: Favours. Also, with the wedding season just brewing up ahead, she is looking forward to an upcoming wedding where she is catering to the favours with the use of candles and diyas. Over the years, she has only added more colours and designs to the box packagings with her innovative ideas.
It does take a lot of patience because it is a time-consuming affair, owing to the fact that it’s all handmade. But Sentila takes great pleasure in engrossing herself in this beautiful world of boxes and blossoms, which she also seem to perfectly balance with her other profession.
Think of occasions that keep happening round the clock and one would find the concept extremely resourceful because it looks like a great one stop for any special occasion with finely made products ranging from gift boxes to corsages and wedding favours.
If you don’t find her engaged in legal affairs or making boxes, Sentila would be in the world of books, reading, or travelling, even as she confesses that these are two other things she enjoys doing the most.
But over and above, she deems it “important for a girl to have something creative in her hands”. As for her, it seems she already has that grip on creativity, even as she colours events and occasions with flowers, beauty and sweet little things.