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Kokrajhar, Nov. 2: Seva Bharati, an NGO, has set up a temporary hostel-cum-residential school for young children from violence-affected villages in Kokrajhar at Onthaigwlao Gyan Jyoti Bathou ashram, 3km from Kokrajhar town. It was inaugurated today.
The hostel will house children who were studying in Classes I to V, besides conducting regular classes on the campus where a new residential school — Bathou Vidya Niketan under Vidya Bharati, on the lines of Sankardev Sishu Niketan — would start from the next academic session. It will start with Classes I-V. Besides academics, the institute plans to start vocational classes for the benefit of the students and local people.
The initiative comes as a boon for the likes of Tibli Basumatary of Malgaon village in Kokrajhar district. A mother of five young children, including two school-going ones, life has been harsh in the past few months. With no roof over their heads after their house was completely destroyed in the recent violence, Tibli and her husband were facing difficulties to rebuild it, leave alone the thought of providing proper education to the children.
She is happy now that at least one of her children can carry on with her studies free of cost. This is the sixth temporary hostel that Seva Bharati has come up with for the children. Five hostels at Gurufella, Gossaiagon and Kokrajhar Brahma Mandir in Kokrajhar town and Chapaguri in Chirang currently house around 200 children.
Seva Bharati’s Assam organising secretary Surender Tal Kerker said, “The recent violence has affected the people in a significant way and Seva Bharati, in its own way, is helping them The children have suffered a lot — missing their studies and classes. So, we have set up six temporary hostels in Kokrajhar and Chirang where about 200 children are staying and doing their studies. I believe we all should come forward to give a helping hand to these people who have suffered a lot.”
Dhananjay Narzary, a functionary of Kalyan ashram, a branch of Seva Bharati, said they have a capacity of 100 students at the hostel. “About 65 have already arrived and more will be coming in the next few days,” he said.
On the new institute, Narzary said “a minimal fee” would be taken from the students from the next academic session if the guardians want them to stay back and continue with their studies at the institute.
“We are thankful to Seva Bharati and Kalian ashram for helping us,” said Tibli.
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