Nagaland, in the north-east of India is one of the least developed states on the subcontinent. It is made up of difficult terrain and is politically unstable. We needed restricted area permits to visit, could only travel to defined parts of the region and there was fully armed police and army everywhere. Many of the local people are struggling to make a living. Bright Hope Nagaland is an attempt by a group of local people to introduce hope and change to their local communities.
Reverend Subong Aier was on the leadership team at a theological college in Bangalore and he and his wife ran a boarding hostel for Naga young 
people in the city. They returned to Dimapur in 2006 and pulled together some high calibre people to commence a farm. The purpose of the farm was to generate income to be used for the establishment of community development partnerships, to model more efficient methods of farming and to provide livestock for the establishment of small scale farms. The project is well led by a team of high calibre people who have a very clear vision they have to establish self help groups as the primary outcome of the farm.
They have a five year plan to establish a piggery, a chicken facility for layers and broilers, a duck poultry unit, fish ponds, small scale crop growing, housing for key people and staff, Self Help Training seminars, Self Help Projects established, a Revolving Fund that is accessible to members of Self 
Help Groups.
We visited a pilot project in Sangtumtilla that was established in the local area with 12 families. The objectives of the pilot are learning and working together to uplift the economic condition by rearing livestock such as pigs, cows, ducks etc, to demonstrate and encourage others and to involve church ministry through tithe and offerings. The participants received a female piglet.. They then grow the piglet into a sow and return two healthy piglets from the first two litters, i.e. four piglets, to BHN for their use and further distribution to others.
