Temshinaro | EMN
DIMAPUR, AUGUST 11
JUSTICE for the Poor (JFP) is a project with main concern committed to minister to the poor, the rejected and the oppressed people as with the growth of population, slum areas in Nagaland are also increasing.
This was stated by founder director of JFP, Rev. R. Meren in an exclusive interview with Eastern Mirror. He said that his humble life has always been an experience to live up to God’s expectations where he follows the old saying of a Chinese proverb, “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime”. This proverb has always been his base for every venture undertaken with his main intention to help the poor.JFP is a project of the Nagamese Baptist Church, Burma Camp that was started by R. Meren to initiate and bring together all the different local dialect speaking Nagas together especially the weaker sections of the society.
JFP also has a tailoring facility at his residence with 22 machines and 23 workers. All the workers have testimonies of their lives that are from different religions. They are divorced, rejected, widows or those who are otherwise living a hard life. The youngest among them is an eleven-year old girl who lost her father just recently and since then JFP has trained and employed her whereby she gets paid according to her works.
The workers are given free job-oriented training by Tiasangla, wife of R. Meren, who was trained under the Missionary of New Zealand and Switzerland tailoring project in Kolkata. The products include ladies bags, shoe rags, keyboard covers, Bible covers, guitar covers and school bags for different schools like A.G. Higher Secondary School, Green Wood, Hope Academy, etc and are also manufactured in bulk. Forty per cent of the income is kept for church planning and the remaining for missionary works and wages to the workers.
“The funds generated are also used for slum ministry in Burma Camp. These provide relief fund and health care to the poor and needy and we buy waste carton boxes and pieces of plywood which are gathered by the slum children and are utilized for making the products,” Rev. Meren said.
He also stated that the products are sold at a maximum of Rs. 300 as the project is not a profit seeking business. The manufactured goods are supplied to different parts of North-Eastern states like Manipur, Assam, Meghalaya, Shillong and Arunachal Pradesh”.
JFP further encourages small business establishments for development, such as hand crafted greeting cards, gift bags, and jute bags and which provide job opportunities to the poor and the needy.
JFP in partnership with the Cross Road India has also started a venture that produces pure honey—“Naga Hills Natural Honey”—which has reached the market and is recognized by various companies.
JFP was started on August 21, 2005 with an aim to bring holistic transformation to the poor and contribution towards the upliftment of the poor sections in Nagaland. Like every venture that ends with a destination, JFP started with its total approach to reach salvation by learning to live according to the will of God and earn one’s own daily bread, Rev Meren added.
