About Manipur

S02E09 FindingTheVoices : Rabi Moirangthem sharing about Hotel Management as a career choice

/ Monica Ingudam / 2 Comments

S02E09 FindingTheVoices Hotel Management as a career choice

Guest Speaker : Rabi Moirangthem (Student, undergoing Industrial training at London)

Interview Location: London, UK & Washington DC, USA (Phone Interview)


Presenting Rabi Moirangthem (Student, undergoing Industrial training at London) sharing in details, prospect of jobs opting Hotel Management as a career choice. Many of our listeners have requested to feature a student and cover about the process and experience going to study out of India. Rabi shares details about getting visa, internship, financial aspect. Most importantly he shares very informative details of his experience studying in Manipur, within India and in London. Also we spoke about the tuition culture in Manipur. It was really a great learning interview and this episode is dedicated to all my student listeners of FindingTheVoices.

MI_5FindingTheVoices brings voices and story that Inspire, Empower, Educate & Entertain us from people all over the world. It is a talk show presented by Monica Ingudam with the vision to promote and spread positive, hopeful, inspiring & entertaining stories in the violence-torn landscape of Manipur.

This is your show to promote your talents & work, share your experiences and voice what you stand for, what you believe in, what you want people to know & talk about.

https://findingthevoices.com/

 

S02E08 FindingTheVoices : What made these women leave their home ?

/ Monica Ingudam / 1 Comment

S02E08 FindingTheVoices : What made these women leave their home ?

Guest Speaker : Women of “The Raja Dumbra Singh Women’s Home”
Language: Manipuri/Meiteilon

Interview Location: Imphal, Manipur, India.


We visited “The Raja Dumbra Singh Women’s Home” in Imphal Manipur and spent special moments listening to their voices sharing their story on “What made these women leave their home ?” Each of their story is unique but is a story resonating the life of many women.

And as always, the camera is rolling and magically they shared their story from their heart, giving me speechless moments, not knowing how to react. And one is left with many question “In the modern world of Gender equality, is there a place for woman after her husband pass away ? How about woman who couldn’t become a mother ? How difficult is it to survive as a single woman ? How about the generation gap with the modernization and change in food habits ? How tolerant are we towards each other ?” Watch these woman share their stories in their own words.

MI_5FindingTheVoices brings voices and story that Inspire, Empower, Educate & Entertain us from people all over the world. It is a talk show presented by Monica Ingudam with the vision to promote and spread positive, hopeful, inspiring & entertaining stories in the violence-torn landscape of Manipur.

This is your show to promote your talents & work, share your experiences and voice what you stand for, what you believe in, what you want people to know & talk about.

https://findingthevoices.com/

 

S02E07 FindingTheVoices: Sneha Bhavan, Home for the children and HIV infected woman in Imphal, Manipur

/ Monica Ingudam / 2 Comments

S02E07 FindingTheVoices: Sneha Bhavan, Home for the children and HIV infected woman in Imphal, Manipur

Guest Speakers : Sister Teresa and Children of Sneha Bhavan

Interview Location: Imphal, Manipur, India.

Sneha Bhavan, a home founded by Sister Teresa in 1994 mainly for HIV +ve infected Drug addicts and woman alcoholics, who were discriminated and disowned by family. Soon it also became a home for the children born by these women, children whom nobody would claim for, after the mother died. Sneha Bhavan also provides vocational trainings to these women to help in their sustenance. Sister Teresa shared the struggles, issues and her pain in not able to accommodate all the children for lack of resources and limitations. Also she shared about the kind gestures and help from the public.

It should be noted that this home is open to anyone irrespective of Religion. And it’s humanity which ties everyone here and there is no religion conversion to be a part of Sneha Bhavan.

Watch and listen to Sister Teresa and Children of Sneha Bhavan sharing their unique story, story which will definitely leave one to ponder on what and how we can help.

I spoke to some of the children to talk about their dreams, aspirations and understand them. And I was left in awe, such bright, smart and beautiful children and there is so many things we can do for them. Most kids wanted to become nuns or priest, not that it’s a bad option and that is all they see now. I hope to visit more children and talk about FindingTheVoices and share the different career options from people of our own, the stories of our Guest Speakers so that they are aware of the different options.

MI_5FindingTheVoices brings voices and story that Inspire, Empower, Educate & Entertain us from people all over the world. It is a talk show presented by Monica Ingudam with the vision to promote and spread positive, hopeful, inspiring & entertaining stories in the violence-torn landscape of Manipur.

This is your show to promote your talents & work, share your experiences and voice what you stand for, what you believe in, what you want people to know & talk about.

https://findingthevoices.com/

 

S02E06 FindingTheVoices: Robert Mulkey, author of the book “This Is My Lemonade” an adoption story.

/ Monica Ingudam / 1 Comment

S02E06 FindingTheVoices: Robert Mulkey, author of the book “This Is My Lemonade” an adoption story. A journey involving abuse, identity, acceptance, rejection and reconciliation

Guest Speaker : Robert Mulkey joining in from California, USA.

“This is My Lemonade,” a memoir by Robert Mulkey, follows an unusual 34 year adoption journey. It is an international story involving identity, acceptance, abuse and redemption and the uncomfortable intricacies of not one, but three families.

I was browsing #Goodreads found this as an e-book. I started reading and before I knew it I had read half the book in one evening. Definitely a page turner. These lines stayed with me “I wanted to thank her for being selfless enough to let me live and let someone else have me”

Call me old fashioned but I enjoy reading a book, a real paper book (not an e-book) turning the pages, smelling the pages, marking up my favorite lines. Despite reading this book as an e-book, I was engrossed with the story and these lines stayed with me “Murderers are allowed to live; despots go unpunished, yet this beautiful woman with the heart full of love who moved everyone she met would no longer be here …”. I looked up for the author to give him my feedback. And he responded so quickly and he agreed to be our Guest Speaker and share more about this books. I had so many questions “Did your mother feel jealous, insecure as he was getting more active in his search for his biological family ? Why was it so important for him to search for his biological family ? How honest was he in his writing and how did people react to his writing ? Did he get closure or healing in the process of writing this book ?” and many more questions. Watch his interview to learn more about the book and the author himself.

You can find his book at Amazon. You can Follow Bob Mulkey at Facebook or His Website.

MI_5FindingTheVoices brings voices and story that Inspire, Empower, Educate & Entertain us from people all over the world. It is a talk show presented by Monica Ingudam with the vision to promote and spread positive, hopeful, inspiring & entertaining stories in the violence-torn landscape of Manipur.

This is your show to promote your talents & work, share your experiences and voice what you stand for, what you believe in, what you want people to know & talk about.

 

S02E05 FindingTheVoices: Raising girls in Manipur and Manipuri proverbs

/ Monica Ingudam / 5 Comments

S02E05 FindingTheVoices: Raising girls in Manipur and Manipuri proverbs

Guest Speaker: Madam Saroj Nalini Ingudam

Interview Location: Imphal, Manipur, India.

Language: Podcast in Meiteilon/Manipuri.

It’s our pleasure to present Madam Saroj Nalini Ingudam, Retired Senior Grade Lecturer in Manipuri language and Literature from Thambal Marik College, Oinam, popularly known by Students of St. Joseph School and HRD Academy. Today she shares about raising girls, the need for a deeper engagement and guidance for girls to grow in the midst of conflict and violence in Manipur.

Even after her retirement, and age catching up, she continue to pursue her passion and belief in raising girls, instilling values and preparing them to be equipped to face the world in her own ways. M4 Girls Residence is a home away from home, for girls, coming from different locations within Manipur, looking for good education. Madam Saroj shares her passion in being a teacher to these girls. This episode is dedicated to all the Girls of M4 Girls Residence, my sweet sisters, the girls who has inspired me to pursue FindingTheVoices with their questions of different career and life outside of Manipur.

Also Madam Saroj shares about Meiteilon (Manipuri) proverbs, proverbs with great meaning which can help the young minds but proverbs which are ignored by the newer generation and the need to revive them.

MI_5FindingTheVoices brings voices and story that Inspire, Empower, Educate & Entertain us from people all over the world. It is a talk show presented by Monica Ingudam with the vision to promote and spread positive, hopeful, inspiring & entertaining stories in the violence-torn landscape of Manipur.

This is your show to promote your talents & work, share your experiences and voice what you stand for, what you believe in, what you want people to know & talk about.

 

V010 FindingTheVoices – Imphal Talkies sharing about the music they liked growing up

/ Monica Ingudam / Leave a comment

A clipping of Imphal Talkies sharing about the music they liked growing up. You can full the Full interview at S02E04 FINDINGTHEVOICES: IMPHAL TALKIES, THE FOLK ROCK BAND FROM IMPHAL, MANIPUR.

S02E04 FindingTheVoices: Imphal Talkies, The folk rock band from Imphal, Manipur.

/ Monica Ingudam / 7 Comments

S02E04 FindingTheVoices: Imphal Talkies, The folk rock band from Imphal, Manipur.

Guest Speakers: Irom Singthoi, Sachidananda Angom, Akhu Chingangbam

Interview Location: Imphal, Manipur, India.

Language: Podcast in English.

Many of our listeners have requested to have Imphal Talkies in our show and it took us more than a year to finally coordinate the show. It was really nice to meet the team and hear their story.

Imphal Talkies was formed in 2008 by Akhu Chingangbam with Sachidananda Angom and Riki Chingangbam. The band released its debut album Tiddim Road in 2009. The band releases its music under its own record label Oomorock Records. Raju Athokpam, a software engineer, joined the band in 2009 March. The band dedicated a song “Eche” in 2010 to Irom Sharmila, a lady who has been on hunger strike since November 2000 as an act protest demanding the repeal of the draconian act, Armed Forces Special Powers Act, 1958. The Imphal Music Project was conceived by Akhu to create a platform among artists from Indian sub continent. Irom Singthoi is the latest addition to the band.

MI_5

FindingTheVoices brings voices and story that Inspire, Empower, Educate & Entertain us from people all over the world.. It is a talk show presented by Monica Ingudam with the vision to promote and spread positive, hopeful, inspiring & entertaining stories in the violence-torn landscape of Manipur.

This is your show to promote your talents & work, share your experiences and voice what you stand for, what you believe in, what you want people to know & talk about….

Special thanks to Akee Sorokhaibam and my sweet sisters of M4 Girls who have been a part in the making of this Episode.

 

S02E03 FindingTheVoices: Career choice from Botany to the world of Marketing and Business development

/ Monica Ingudam / 5 Comments

S02E03: Career choice from Botany to the world of Marketing and Business development.

Guest Speaker : Ramina Haorokcham joining from Shanghai, China
Phone Interview: Washington DC, USA and Shanghai, China
Language: Podcast in English.

Ramina Haorokcham shares about her career introducing us to the world of advertising, marketing and Business development. She shares her studying and working experience in India as well as China. She started out with Botany and ended up in the media world fighting through her career aspiration and chasing her dreams in spite of her parent’s expectation to pursue into the line of IAS.  Watch her share about her experiences, challenges and satisfaction in her line of career.

One of our goal is to give student and parents an opportunity to hear from our own people about different career and job options. This will help to widen the young minds of Manipur to hear about other line of work. I have spoken to many students and the general perception of career option are limited to becoming a Doctor, Engineer or IAS officer. Other options are not much known amongst students as well as parents. Also there is the craze and pressure to join extensive coaching classes and wait for 2 to 4 years to get into the medical entrance exam. And within this span, there are many who would become depressed with low self-esteem, loose focus and stray away. We encourage that students go in the line which they have aspirations and interest in rather than being forced or pressured into the line of career parents believe in.

MI_5FindingTheVoices brings voices and story that Inspire, Empower, Educate & Entertain us from people all over the world.. It is a talk show presented by Monica Ingudam with the vision to promote and spread positive, hopeful, inspiring & entertaining stories in the violence-torn landscape of Manipur.

This is your show to promote your talents & work, share your experiences and voice what you stand for, what you believe in, what you want people to know & talk about….

S02E02 FindingTheVoices: How do your react when someone calls you a Chinky or use any derogatory terms ?

/ Monica Ingudam / 3 Comments

S02E02 FindingTheVoices: How do your react when someone calls you a Chinky or use any derogatory terms ?

Guest Speakers: Bobo Hijam, Lukhoi Sougaijam, Linthoi Angom

Language: English.
Interview Location : Washington DC, USA.

With many cases of racism and incidents in India where the North East people of India are teased, questioned, called Chinky and other derogatory terms I had posted  “Yes we hear the word “Chinky” very often. Lot of people including myself try and take it sportingly to survive and blend in, not to cause any trouble (for we have seen time and again that we will loose fighting back and be alienated and chose to focus to study/work, the reason why we came out from Manipur) but you should know that deep inside we don’t like it”

And one of the response was “I use “Chinky” for people from North East India like using Gujju for Gujarati, Bong for Bengali, Mallu for Malayali, I didn’t think it was offensive. If it is I will stop”

This response (ignorance that it’s a derogatory term) inspired me to do this episode to share our experience, thoughts, ways of coping up and mechanism we had opted to survive such situations, situations we wish we didn’t have to face but we are facing.

There are many young students coming out to escape the conflict, including myself, to pursue uninterrupted education at a very young age. And then dealing with new place and people, new food, pain of missing home. We have met very good, kind hearted people who have helped and touched our heart and we remain indebted forever.

But we are also faced with indifference and questions on our identity making us to cope up to blend in, to survive in many ways even in the way one dresses, avoiding places and events, curbing one’s freedom to avoid situations, keeping quiet gulping humiliations to survive. Many of us cope up this way for we know that when we fight back it’s only us who will loose and end in tragic incidents which never gets justice. But should we keep quiet ? No we shouldn’t. And we will not. We have learnt to pick our battle and find ways and mechanism to protest, educate, spread awareness and let people know. Also we should ask our self if we are calling names to others, start from home, our origin and fight for the cause, stand for the cause irrespective of your community and contribute at the individual level and this will truly bring a change.

Thanks to our Guest Speakers for sharing their heart felt experience and thoughts. Please share your experience and thoughts too.