Today I am with Armstrong Pame from Tousem sub-division, tamenglong district in Manipur, India. He is an IAS (Indian Administrative Service) officer serving as Sub-divisional Officer. He also was an assistant commissioner In the Indian Revenue Service.
And most recently he has initiated a very inspiring initiative of making a 100 km road in Manipur with no funding or help coming from the government, a story which have touched people’s heart all over the world …
This year, with the outbreak of diseases like typhoid and malaria, It took two days for anyone in the village to make it to the nearest hospital on foot in the absence of a motorable road. Hundreds of patients were carried on bamboo stretchers, and very few made it to the town alive. And town doctors were unwilling to come to the village because of its inaccessible terrain. Frustrated with the situation with no response from the government, Armstrong Pame turned to his family and well wishers and initiated the project of making the 100 km Tamenglong – Haflong Road Construction in August this year and targeted to be completed by Christmas this year.
I am proud to present the voice of Armstrong Pame, the voice requested by many listeners of FindingTheVoices, the VOICE we want to hear and should be heard. The podcast is devided into 2 parts. Please listen to Part 1 which focuses on his introduction and journey from Tamenlong to becoming an IAS officer, an episode is dedicated to all the student listeners of FindingTheVoices particularly students from North East India where the parents work very hard, sacrificing and struggling to send money to get their children educated in other parts of India.
This is Part 2 which focuses on details about the making a 100 km road in Manipur with no funding or help coming from the government, a story which have touched people’s heart all over the world. It is touching to hear how he started the project and how people all over the world responded, a story which makes us believe that there are still good people in this world and we still have hope. He is so humble and gives all the credit of this project to his Villagers and thanks to everyone for the support received.
Please contribute and help in making the wish of Armstrong Pame in giving the gift of the Road this christmas for all the villagers and children. Please refer to the facebook group Tamenglong – Haflong Road Construction for more details or contact 91 9953029135.
Growing up We had used firewood for cooking in a very basic simple kitchen. We still use it now too though we have the choice of cooking using gas (depending on the availability of getting gas in Imphal) …
I remember my mother making cow dung for fuel and we use to help her. My mother fondly remember my sister helping her making cow dung for fuel (Shunthi Saba) with her little fingers as she says. It would be kept out in the sun for drying and we would run to collect and save it in case it starts raining … If we see cowdung on the road, I remember collecting it or running to tell Ema …
I remember seeing Ema with a pipe which is used for blowing the smoke while cooking and at times tears would roll down because of the smokes coming out ….It was a big celebration when our Grandmother gifted us with a hand blower which made it easier to blow the air and make the firewood burn easier. 
Baba would cut the firewood using the axe. I remember him telling in a homourous way that is a way of him doing the work & exercise too.
And finally we did upgrade to cooking with Gas and Ema (my mother) was very very happy, always keeping the Gas stove spick and span ….. But till today we do have our cooking place for cooking with firewood where we enjoy cooking & roasting fish.
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