In response to the ongoing ethnic violence in Manipur, a retired Lieutenant Colonel from the Indian Army has embarked on a mission to help widows secure livelihoods and fund the education of children impacted by the conflict.
Lt Col L Manongba (retd) was recently honoured with the Veteran Achiever Award by Chief of Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi during the Army Day Parade in Pune last month.
His work in empowering 35 widows to establish small businesses and supporting the education of 60 children who lost their fathers in the violence earned him widespread recognition.
The violence in Manipur, which began in May 2023, has led to hundreds of fatalities, and many lives have been upended by the ongoing clashes.
“Through our initiative, Wings of Hope, we continue our mission to rebuild lives and restore hope for those devastated by the violence,” Lt Col Manongba said.
A 1979 graduate of the National Defence Academy (NDA) in Pune, Manongba dedicated himself to the welfare of ex-servicemen from Manipur after retiring from the army.
Later, he founded Wings of Hope, a non-profit charity, to assist widows and children affected by the violence in the state.
After retiring from the Army and working briefly in the corporate sector, Manongba took charge of the Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS) in Imphal, where he rallied ex-servicemen from the state’s remote regions to provide assistance.
However, the outbreak of ethnic violence between the Meitei and Kuki communities in May 2023 made it increasingly difficult to maintain those connections.
“As the violence escalated, the communities near the foothills were severely impacted. It was heartbreaking to hear about young men, many newly married, losing their lives in the clashes,” said the former Army officer.
Determined to help, Manongba and his fellow ex-servicemen held a meeting to discuss a plan of action.
This led to the formation of Wings of Hope, a charitable trust aimed at addressing the immediate needs of those affected by the conflict.
While the government has been providing relief, Manongba noticed there were gaps in assistance, particularly for widows and children.
The Wings of Hope team visited relief camps and found over 30,000 displaced individuals living under harsh conditions.
Among them, they identified 150 widows, aged 25 to 40, who had lost their husbands in the violence.
They also found more than 60 children at risk of dropping out of school due to financial difficulties.
Wings of Hope launched two key initiatives: funding the education of children and helping widows achieve financial independence.
“I reached out to my batchmates, seniors, and friends from my alma mater, seeking financial assistance,” Manongba explained.
The first initiative involved providing Rs 95,000 every month to ensure the education of 60 children.
The second initiative focused on helping widows establish sustainable livelihoods. Wings of Hope provided soft loans to 35 widows, empowering them to start their own businesses.
One widow, who had lost her husband in the violence, received a Rs 30,000 interest-free loan to start a poultry farm.
By December, she had purchased 300 chicks, which grew into mature chickens in just 45 days. She sold the entire stock and earned Rs 50,000.
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Another widow received a Rs 30,000 loan to start weaving muga silk.
Additionally, groups of widows in relief camps began creating handmade crochet dolls, incense sticks, handicrafts, and other products, which are now being sold at flea markets in Kolkata and other regions, providing a sustainable income for these women.
“We’ve seen remarkable success,” said Manongba.
“Our goal is to give these women the tools they need to rebuild their lives and create a better future for themselves and their children.”
