46-year-old Jongmalemla Jamir of Longsa village is a loving mother who has been running ‘GATHERPOOL’ for the past eight years in New Market, Arkong ward, Mokokchung.
‘Gatherpool,’ on the other hand, is not your typical housewares or handcrafted goods shop. Gatherpool is unique in how it combines both and is a place where one can find all Ao traditional attires for men and women, as well as a selection of fashionable earrings and necklaces crafted by Jongmalemla herself.
Alem began her journey by renting a shop and selling kitchenware. She is happily married to Takososang, and they are blessed with three children. However, because Alem was passionate about such crafts and refused to squander her free time when there were no customers in the shop, she began crafting and designing on her own with the beads. She gradually realized that it was selling significantly more than she had expected.
“I suppose when Watsü approached me and said that I have a knack of a talent and asked me to open up my own handicraft stall in the Expo that was organized back like 7 years ago, people started learning about me and my work more and gradually the number of customers that were showing up at my shop increased a lot,” she explained.
People began purchasing in bulk from her over time, and before she knew it, she had become the person to whom various retailers as well as the Watsü Mungdang and the various groups would procure in bulk from, with Eden Academy purchasing it for their cultural and literary day celebration being the most recent sale.
“God has blessed me in such a way that my products are being purchased and sent across India, as well as to foreign countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom,” she added enthusiastically.
Alem has also been involved with NEWEA, a Nagaland entrepreneurial association for women that hires the unemployed to assist them with their handicrafts.
“I used to hire a couple of them to assist me out, but that has changed,” she said.
When asked where and how she got the inspiration to start crafting, she recalled reading the Bible one day and wondering how God had endowed the Israelite women with skill to let them work for themselves and feed their hunger.
“So far, everything I’ve done has been my own thoughts and designs,” she noted, “but I do get inspired when I see other people wearing different designs.”
According to her, the surge in online sales of such items has had no effect on her business thus far. In fact, she said that customers flock to her business because they find her items to be considerably cheaper.
Alem, who imports her beads from Lakhimpur, Jodhpur, and Dimapur, sells original traditional Ao women’s necklace sets as well as Men’s traditional shawl, head gear, armlets, and many other items at Gatherpool.
Gatherpool also sells kitchenware, which she sources from Dimapur, Guwahati, and Jorhat. She feels, however, that the handiwork she does is a better seller.
Many factors, she claims, led to her firm’s success, the most important of which are her husband’s support and hard work.
“I have a husband who supports and cares for me, and I am grateful to have him in my life.” “God has been quite generous to me,” she stated.
“However, it is critical that you work hard. I don’t work from home since I wouldn’t have time for my family. So, when I do not have customers in the shop, I work there and make sure I’m fulfilling my responsibilities as a mother and wife at home,” she explained.
For Alem, in some ways, it seems as though the blessings from above are unfathomable.
“I’ve never asked my girls to assist me when I design, but strangely, my eldest daughter is performing far better than I am in this sector,” she disclosed.
“From what I believe, one should not simply waste time when sitting in the shop.”
“Even if you’re sitting in the shop, you can still be productive. All you have to do is put forth the effort. If you do the business work at home, it will have a detrimental effect on your family,” she cautioned.
She then encouraged people to go to church rather than blame the store for not attending church.
“I believe our business will continue to thrive whether we attend church or not. Shutting down our stores during the church hours does not really make a huge impact in terms of sale. So, even if we’re all busy, we should make time for worship,” she said.