TEZU, Feb 4: A two-day capacity building workshop titled “Breaking The Chains of Addiction”, focusing on Understanding and Coping with Substance Abuse and Mental Health and the Formation of the Four Corner Club Network in Arunachal Pradesh, concluded on a positive note at the Department of Geography, Indira Gandhi Govt College (IGGC), Tezu today.
Organized by Recovery Wellness Society (RWS) in collaboration with the All Mishmi Women Welfare Society (AMWWS), Tezu and the Dept of Geography, IGGC (Tezu), the programme witnessed active participation from students, family members, teachers, social workers, and volunteers, reflecting a strong community-wide response to the challenges of substance abuse and mental health.
The workshop aimed to enhance awareness, reduce stigma, and strengthen understanding of substance abuse and mental health issues, while equipping participants with practical coping, prevention, and support strategies. Interactive sessions highlighted the psychological, social, and health dimensions of addiction and mental well-being, emphasizing early intervention, family involvement, and community-based care.
The RWS team, led by its founder Anupam Rohit, Deepshikha Kalita (Psychologist), Yeaija Choudhury (Psychologist), along with Sagar Pradhan (recovery coach) and Jiri Kaling Riba (intern), engaged participants through interactive discussions, experiential learning, and practical insights on recovery, prevention, and mental health support.
A major outcome of the programme was the formation of the Four Corner Club Network Core Committee, representing a collective, inclusive, and community-driven platform comprising students, family members, teachers, social workers, and volunteers. The Core Committee members are Soloi Ngadong (GB Tamla Nagar, Tezu), Mantilu Pul Tawsik (Chairperson All Mishmi Women Welfare Society, Dr Rinkiolu Chai (Asstt Professor, IGGC), Senaso Yun (Owner, Digital Mishmi News), Sahina Dellang (student, IGGC), Paging Tayang (president Bapu Welfare Society, Tafragam) and Anupam Rohit.
The Four Corner Club Network has been envisioned as a sustainable platform to promote awareness, peer support, prevention, and community engagement on substance abuse and mental health across the region.
AMWWS Chairperson lauded the efforts of the RWS and its partners, and assured full support and cooperation from AMWWS to take the collaboration forward through continued community engagement, awareness activities, and joint initiatives in the future.
Speaking on the occasion, Rohit stated that together—students, families, teachers, social workers, and volunteers—can effectively break the chains of addiction and address mental health challenges through awareness, shared responsibility, and sustained community action.
Dr Chai emphasized the crucial role of educational institutions in awareness, prevention, and student engagement, and assured the college’s continued support in strengthening such collaborative efforts for the well-being of students and the wider community.
The GB highlighted the importance of collective responsibility and community leadership in prevention and recovery, and assured full support from the village administration to take such awareness and collaborative efforts forward.
Participants actively engaged in discussions, shared experiences, and expressed strong commitment to carrying forward the learnings from the workshop within their institutions and communities.
The programme concluded with a certificate distribution ceremony and a collective pledge to work together towards awareness, recovery, mental well-being, and a stigma-free society.