The Medemer Fund, started in March 2019, is a crowd funded project dedicated to bringing about change and empower children with skills and knowledge by financially helping their parents/guardians pay for their education, setting up libraries and training on self-reliant skills.
The Medemer Fund, which means “a friend helping out a friend,” is committed to helping children from less privileged backgrounds wanting to study but are forced to abandon their education due to poverty or situations forcing them to work and provide support for the family. The fund aims to ensure that education is a privilege of every child.
Founder and CEO of the fund, Anen Longchar explained that she started this fund with no proper planning or goals set, but simply to fulfil her passion to help young children whom she believed was instilled in her by God.
“I recall this particular day when I called an acquaintance, whom I often prayed with. I asked her to pray for me and the plans I had in my heart. And as she finished praying for me over the phone, she said it is God’s will that I follow my passion but not alone and would send someone to help me get started,” she said.
Recalling an event that led to the inception of the Medemer fund she explained how meeting one of her friends and sharing about her dream was the main cause of its inception.
“There was this old friend of mine from college days whom I haven’t met for a long time and so, there was this day I planned on meeting her in Kohima but she was stuck in the traffic for a really long time. I was just pacing up and down the street, getting tempted every time to just go home. But I also felt the need to meet her so I waited despite the delay. I believe if I hadn’t met her that day, The Medemer Fund would have never started,” she shared.
“That day we talked about a lot of things but most importantly something in me prompted me to tell her about my hopes and dream of helping the young people. As I shared with her about my passion, she informed me how, just before she met me, a student came to her asking her to pray for him because he could no longer pay his fees and did not know what else he could do. I think it was that moment I knew this was the door that God was talking about. I went home that day and knew exactly what I had to do. I started raising money to help him pay his fees. That was how it all started on 4th March 2019,” she narrated.
For about a year, it was just Anen trying to help out the kids until she met some more amazing people to help her create a team who were equally passionate and dedicated like her and they all shared the same zeal to help even more students.
As of now, Medemer Fund has Sentinaro Jamir as the Manager/HR Associate of the team; Temjenzenla as the Communication Associate; Bendangtoshi as the Accounts Associate; Moamen Imsong, Advertising and Media Associate; and Aren Tzudir, the Coordinator of the team.
The team, in order to raise money started selling food, coffee, lemon tea on the streets of Phoolbari, Kohima in the cold winter and even organised small events with music and food at cafes, outdoors music events, walkathons etc. to help more kids that were struggling to pay their fees.
“Fortunately, we also have donors who contribute monthly towards our fund while some donate whenever they can,” Anen added.
Together they have made a lot of progress with the Fund with lots of refreshing ideas to make the world a better place for the kids in no matter how small scales it may be.
Other Initiatives of Medemer Fund
Apart from providing financial assistance to students who need it, the fund has helped set up a library at a mission school in Silonijan. The fund is also working together with SDG on a project to achieve sustainability goals.
The team has been visiting and working together with a school in Sekrezu, Phek where solar light has been provided in the school and hostels, teaching the kids how to be innovative and self reliant by showing them how to make soap from available resources, making recycled paper from used books, how to make toothbrush from raw materials available, teaching them about hygiene and how to take care of themselves better and providing access to better medical care.
Success stories of students the fund has helped
(names have been withheld for privacy of the students)
Mr. X completed Bth studies from Christ for the Nations College, Kohima and is now serving as a Community Hostel Warden, working with the church and with the youth in his village.
Mr. Y completed Bth studies from Christ for the Nations College, Kohima and is now serving as an Evangelist at Gorkha Christian Association
Mr. W completed Bth studies from Discipleship Bible College, Dimapur and is going to pursue higher studies.
Mr. Z completed his theological studies from Dimapur and is now serving as Youth Pastor in a church under Mokokchung district.
Mr. A completed his B.A studies from St. Xavier College, Jalukie and is now pursuing M.A honours
Miss. P pursuing her nursing course from CIHSR, Dimapur.
Miss. B studying in Dimapur Government College, paying her hostel fees to avoid the hassle of travelling back and forth and worrying about travelling expenses.
Miss. O’s mother is a single mother and has problems with her health, so apart from helping out occasionally, the Fund is helping pay for her school fees every month.
In a nutshell, Medemer Fund plays the role of a middleman where they connect people who want to help with the people in need of help.
“Whatever it is that we do to help these kids is a reflection of one’s kindness, generosity and love. That is all that the Medemer Fund is. A friend helping out a friend,” Anen concluded.
Kindly check their Instagram page @medemerfund for more details, participation and support.