Chakhesang Business Meet Bets on Enterprise Over Government Jobs

The Western Chakhesang Hoho (WCH) has committed to making its Community Business Meet an annual event and to reviving the dormant Western Chakhesang Business Association. Those two resolutions closed the Community Business Meet 2026, held Saturday at the Mission Centre of the Western Chakhesang Baptist Church Council (WCBCC) in Kozabe, Chümoukedima district, under the theme "Economic Self-Reliance and Entrepreneurship".

The programme was hosted by Kudecho Khamo, MLA and Advisor for the Civil Administration Works Division (CAWD), Government of Nagaland. It drew entrepreneurs, business owners, professionals and aspiring founders to swap ideas, share experience and map out collaboration within the community.

What did the host actually tell the room?

Khamo's message was blunt: stop waiting for leaders and government posts to deliver a livelihood. He said individuals must take responsibility for their own economic well-being rather than blame leaders or those who had progressed through their own efforts.

He laid down his operating principles for anyone entering trade. Integrity, honesty and respect for customers must form the foundation of every business. Aspiring entrepreneurs should conduct proper market research, identify gaps and unmet needs, and only then make informed decisions. He stressed that entrepreneurship should not be driven solely by profit but guided by ethical practice and genuine commitment to customer satisfaction — trust and integrity, he said, were essential for long-term credibility and sustainable growth.

His sharpest line concerned capital. Money alone, he maintained, could not sustain a business. "The ability to think and the willingness to work constituted the real capital," backed by sacrifice, discipline and an unwavering commitment to the fear of God.

Why the push away from government jobs?

Khamo argued the community's future should not depend solely on government employment — even while encouraging those seriously preparing for competitive examinations. His reasoning was practical: limited land holdings are one of the challenges in relying on government jobs as the primary source of livelihood.

He also warned that poverty and backwardness could become serious challenges without social reforms, and he pointed to where opportunity already exists. Chakhesang presence is growing in vegetable vending and thrift businesses in Kohima, and young entrepreneurs are emerging. His advice: build on existing ventures while exploring new ones.

Khamo underscored financial literacy, proper planning and specialisation in one's chosen field, and called for stronger business partnerships within the community to pool resources, knowledge and capabilities. He urged the Western Chakhesang area to take the lead in turning community resources and traditional strengths into viable ventures and set an example for others.

How did the meet play out?

Lhikhro Kreo, Press Secretary of the WCH, chaired the inaugural session. Rev. Sevie Koza, Pastor of CRC Soudzulhou, pronounced the invocation; Lhoupe Koza, Chairman of Kozabe Village, delivered the welcome address; and WCH President Yetshuli Ngatsi presented the summit perspective.

One product stood out. Sapralu Nyekha, Joint Secretary of the Western Chakhesang Mother's Association, presented "Bubble Soft", a homemade, chemical-free soap venture run as a family business — a live example of grassroots entrepreneurship that organisers held up as proof that locally developed products can evolve into viable businesses.

The highlight was a plenary session, "Interaction and Way Forward", moderated by Elizabeth Dozo Semp, Principal of Great Commission Higher Secondary School, and Elijah Pfuno, entrepreneur and social worker. Panelists were Vepozo Dozo, entrepreneur and social worker; Azolo Nuh, proprietor of Kee Space; Akho Kezo, businessman; and Werite Kevichusa, entrepreneur.

They focused on presenting existing businesses, sharing entrepreneurial experience, exploring partnerships, and identifying challenges — with particular weight on strengthening community business networking, revitalising the business association and drafting a future-oriented action plan.

The meet closed with a rapporteur's summary, vote of thanks and valedictory prayer from Neizo Koza, Pastor of CBC Kozabe, followed by lunch. For practitioners, the takeaway is clear: WCH wants to move the community beyond individual ventures toward a connected ecosystem — and it now has a calendar commitment, not just rhetoric, to keep the momentum.