The Central Social Welfare Board gradually increased these programmes and started the process of decentralizing many of its programmes.
The Board had a monthly bulletin called the “Welfare News” to publicise the activities of the Social Welfare Department.
The year 1983 was the Silver Jubilee year. It was during the tenure of Mrs. Lhusi Haralu as the Chairperson. As part of the Silver Jubilee programmes, a Social Worker’s Conference was organized on the 25th November 1983. The difficulties of the State Board can be understood as even in its 25th year, the Board had only 8 administrative and support staff with the Secretary as the only high ranking and the rest in the support staff.
The involvement of the District administration was another effective method for the State Board to see it that the programmes are properly implemented. The District Commissioners of the district of Mon, Tuensang and Wokha extended support to the programmes of the Board.
A voluntary Action Bureau was established at the State Board’s office to look into cases of atrocities on women and children. The State Board also sponsored patients suffering from physical disabilities along with escorts were sent to the National Institute of Orthopedically Handicapped Calcutta and provided artificial limbs, wheel chairs, hearing aids etc.
The socio-economic programmes dealt with the development and expansion of common trades especially the agro-based trades such as piggery, diary, weaving & knitting, tailoring, production unit, goatery, bakery and handloom. These programmes like the socio-economic programmes were handed over to voluntary organizations. Awareness Generation Camps for rural and poor women were also started for NGOs to train and advise rural women on their rights, development and education.
The Family Counselling Centre and Creche centres proved a boon for many a women and family who were besotted with domestic problems.
The Border Area Project attached to the State Board was officially handed to the Directorate of Women Development, Government of Nagaland w.e.f. 1.4.2005 as per the directives of the Ministry of Women & Child Development, Government of India.
The Board had been without own office for a very long time. However, with the support of the State Government the State Board has come up with its own building.
Inception and Introduction
The Nagaland State Social Welfare Board (NSSWB) came into existence in the year 1958 with the mission to implement various programs and assists the Central Social Welfare Board (CSWB) programmes for sustaining the growth and development of Voluntary Organizations working for women, children and weaker section of our society and providing financial assistance for taking up various welfare programs in the State.
Brief history of the State Board
The Nagaland State Social Welfare Board was set up in the year 1958 under Naga Hills Tuensang District with the constitution of the Social Welfare Advisory Board as it was known in those days. Mrs. Luthra, wife of the Commissioner Nagaland was the first Chairperson.
Early records note that it started with the launching of 3 welfare extension projects – two centres in Kohima District and one in Mokokchung District.
During the initial years, the Board faced acute shortage of staff and even Board members worked like staff and undertook administrative works. In those days, inspectors had to come from Assam to inspect the welfare Extension Project Centres. Officials from the Department of Social Welfare also made visits. Initially no Voluntary Organisations applied for the same. They also had no mode of transport and visits to villages were difficult.
The Board set up Maternity centres and Balwadi centres. While the dhais of the maternity centres undertook ante-natal care and post natal care, the Balwadi centres also distributed milk and biscuits as supplementary nutrition to the children. They also conducted pre-schools classes for children. The craft instructors trained women and young girls in cutting & tailoring, knitting and weaving.
Around 1972, the Catholic Mission also provided one lady doctor and two nurses for the Maternity Centre at Kohima. It was around this time that the Regional Director of UNICEF, Mr. Gordon Carter visited the centre at Kohima with his wife.
The Board over the years started giving grant-in-aid to the Voluntary Organisations for support of women, children and the physically handicapped. Holiday camps were organized for children and vocational trainings were also started. The holiday camps were for poor children of tribal areas who had no opportunities to avail holiday and recreational facilities. Such trips also inculcated a spirit of group living, self reliance, leadership qualities and also provide them with natural surroundings.
The socio-economic programme provided part time or full time jobs to economically backward, the physically handicapped destitute women including women in the early eighties while the Condensed Course of Education also started. During 1982-83, the Condensed Course of Education was conducted by two institutions.
The staff at the Border Area Welfare Projects in Mon, Tuensang, and Wokha faced many problems. The state transport system was probably absent or very poor. The staff in these interior areas had to travel many hours through mountain roads and steep ravines to reach these project villages.
Many programmes could not be started in many districts of the state as the concept of voluntarism is poor and they were amateur voluntary organizations in these places. The Board started the process of developing organizations in these areas and fine tuning those already existing.
The Central Social Welfare Board gradually increased these programmes and started the process of decentralizing many of its programmes.
The Board had a monthly bulletin called the “Welfare News” to publicise the activities of the Social Welfare Department.
The year 1983 was the Silver Jubilee year. It was during the tenure of Mrs. Lhusi Haralu as the Chairperson. As part of the Silver Jubilee programmes, a Social Worker’s Conference was organized on the 25th November 1983. The difficulties of the State Board can be understood as even in its 25th year, the Board had only 8 administrative and support staff with the Secretary as the only high ranking and the rest in the support staff.
The involvement of the District administration was another effective method for the State Board to see it that the programmes are properly implemented. The District Commissioners of the district of Mon, Tuensang and Wokha extended support to the programmes of the Board.
A voluntary Action Bureau was established at the State Board’s office to look into cases of atrocities on women and children. The State Board also sponsored patients suffering from physical disabilities along with escorts were sent to the National Institute of Orthopedically Handicapped Calcutta and provided artificial limbs, wheel chairs, hearing aids etc.
The socio-economic programmes dealt with the development and expansion of common trades especially the agro-based trades such as piggery, diary, weaving & knitting, tailoring, production unit, goatery, bakery and handloom. These programmes like the socio-economic programmes were handed over to voluntary organizations. Awareness Generation Camps for rural and poor women were also started for NGOs to train and advise rural women on their rights, development and education.
The Family Counselling Centre and Creche centres proved a boon for many a women and family who were besotted with domestic problems.
The Border Area Project attached to the State Board was officially handed to the Directorate of Women Development, Government of Nagaland w.e.f. 1.4.2005 as per the directives of the Ministry of Women & Child Development, Government of India.
The Board had been without own office for a very long time. However, with the support of the State Government the State Board has come up with its own building.
Mission & Vision
As a national organization, strive to be recognized as the most progressive entity for providing services of unequivocal excellence to women and children for their protection, capacity building and total empowerment. To raise awareness about the legal and human rights of women and girl child and to run campaigns against social evils affecting them
