Susan Waten Naga
What do orphaned children and offspring’s of wine sellers, vegetable vendors, flesh sellers and traders, domestic servants, cattle rearers and daily laborers do? Where do they go? Surely there’s got to be some concerned citizens who have deliberated on the future of such unfortunate children. Surely there are people who do not want these innocent offspring’s to walk in their parents’ footsteps and suffer the same social stigma of abject poverty and helplessness! There’s got to be a way to break this vicious chain of hereditary livelihood and imposition of a dark destiny on those who cannot choose their own!
Come to the slum area of Nagarjan C, Grace Colony in Dimapur. Take-a stroll-across the railway bazaar, you will not miss these ‘scenes: Quarrels among drunken men in dingy booze joints, children laboring instead of going to school, or some in school uniform selling vegetables and tea on footpaths, prostitutes in bright lipstick posing on narrow doorways, young men gambling and whiling away their time. Most of the people living in this particular area are the plain people, consisting of Bengalis and Mians. There is also a sizable number of Naga tribals coming from the interiors such as Tuensang, Mon and Zeliang areas, etc. This area nestles all kinds of imaginable human vices and children become vulnerable targets of imitating “adult” examples.
Some social workers and mission-oriented people, with the initial help from World Vision, had opened a school called the Community Educational Center in 1999 in this colony. Key people labored sacrificially. In the heat of Dimapur’s scorching sun, they would sit under shades of trees and teach five-six willing children the basics of ABC’s and 123’s. Their efforts have paid off admirably well. In just half a dozen years’ time, there are now 500 enrolled students (out of which 50-60 are Nagas).
Classes from LKG to 6 are held in two shifts and are monitored by 12 teachers and working staffs.
Considering the positive response from parents and children alike, the Center is seen as an “Oasis,” where young minds are nurtured by the light of modem education and exercise of reasoning power. In the beginning it was a different story. The uneducated parents and guardians were torn in between to either allow their children to study their lessons or to help with domestic and commercial works.
They had to either suffer the loss of one earning member or make immediate sacrifices in the present to build the future good of the child. Ultimately, with a lot of tug of war with the school going children and the administration, the parents and guardians began to understand the importance of working towards the child’s future good through education. What’s more, the Community Educational Center has started a computer education program for students of classes 5 & 6. The aim is to impart employment skills besides the basics of simply teaching them how to read and write.
School fees are absolutely minimum, hardly covering the cost of study materials. What started as a monthly collection of Rs 5 climbed to Rs 25. From this year (2006) onwards, the administration has decided to collect Rs 50, but they are doubtful as to whether it is-affordable despite the rising cost of educational material and payment of teachers. With this in mind, the authorities of Community Educational Center is making a plea to responsible Naga citizens to willingly come forward and sponsor the education of at least one child. It will cost Rs 2,400 annually, or Rs 200 monthly. The man to contact is Subo Longkumer at (03862) 236662. He is at present the Manager of the school and has plans for opening more such community schools in and around Dimapur where upliftment and rehabilitation of vulnerable children are required.
