Tobu Area Students’ Union along with the executive of Pessao Village Students’ Union paid a visit to Hope Academy, Obay Hoangap Village on July 14.
Oby Hoangap (Mon), July 15 (MExN): Nestled in the remotest corner of Nagaland along the Indo-Myanmar border under Tobu Sub-Division in Mon District, the “unrecognized village” of Obay Hoangap remains cut off from basic modern amenities, with no roads, electricity, healthcare or network connectivity.
Accessible only by “around 40-50 minutes to climb on foot from the nearest base,” the village is disconnected from the basic amenities of modern life with no road and network connectivity. “The Village remains deprived of electricity, healthcare and education with no alternatives but solely depending on Opium cultivation for their means of livelihood,” Tobu Area Students’ Union (TASU) President, Chongo Konyak said in a press release.
The village has long relied on opium cultivation as its primary means of livelihood. “Until 2015, the scourge of Opium addiction affected nearly every household, with at least one member per family reportedly addicted,” Konyak stated.
However, a turning point came with the launch of a mass movement against opium trafficking by the Joint Action Committee Against Opium Addiction (JACOA) in collaboration with TASU, “sparking a wave of social reform.”
In response to the urgent need for education and reform, in 2020, under TASU’s “Teach for Tobu, Teach for Future Generation” initiative during then-President Sangti Konyak’s tenure, Hope Academy was established in the village.
“The school was envisioned as a beacon of hope to uplift the underprivileged children through education in a grassroots level and to foster a strong sense of community ownership over educational development. Since its inception, the honorarium for the two teachers has been consistently sponsored by TASU,” the union stated.
‘Children of Obay Hoangap deserve an equal chance at life’
On July 14, the Tobu Area Students’ Union led by President Chongo Konyak along with the executive of Pessao Village Students’ Union paid a visit to Hope Academy, Obay Hoangap Village.
The visiting team engaged in interactions with the teachers, students, parents, village elders, and church leaders to assess the school’s functioning and work progress. They also conducted fun-filled games and distributed essential school materials to all the students.
Speaking during the visit, TASU President Chongo Konyak urged upon the like-minded individuals and organizations to extend their generous support towards the cause.
“The children of Obay Hoangap deserve an equal chance at life,” he asserted while appealing “to kind-hearted people to join hands in supporting the teachers who have selflessly chosen to serve in this neglected corner of our district.”
