In Aizawl, we were hosted by YMA – Young Mizo Association – an NGO. To say that we were just hosted would not be sufficient – we got tons of advice, help and support from them. Because of the YMA, we made good friends in Aizawl too.
YMA is an organized way for every Mizo to participate in a simple act – looking out for each other. They even have a term to describe this – “tlawmngaihna” – and every Mizo person is proud to abide by it. It is the biggest and most widespread NGO in Mizoram with the number of members about 400,000 (the total population of Mizoram is about 900,000 and in that case the members of MA should form their entire active population). Looking out for each other does not sound like much, right? But the range of activities that YMA involves in is quite comprehensive – from conducting funerals to help in rebuilding infrastructure after natural calamities and so on. We got an opportunity to see how YMA helped rural communities first hand when we visited a couple of villages on our way back from Tamdil lake. They were building a community recreation center for the residents of the nearby areas. Generate employment and at the same time build something useful for the community! In addition to looking out for eachother, Mizos also treat their guests with a lot of respect too. I think a simple thought put into action properly can make a lot of difference – and YMA is doing exactly that!