Guwahati, April 4: There is hope to make education accessible for the out-of-school children of sex workers in Silchar town of Cachar district.

The Assam State Commission for Protection of Child Rights will set up a Jyoti Kendra — an alternative learning centre run by the Axom Sarba Siksha Abhijan Mission for hard-to-reach children — in the red light area of the south Assam town.

Chairperson of the commission, Suchitra Kakoty, today told The Telegraph that she had an interaction with the inmates of the area during her recent visit to Silchar and they have welcomed the idea.

The Assam panel was constituted by the state government under the Commission for Protection of Child Rights Act, 2005.

“We have planned to set up the Jyoti Kendra and an alternative skill development centre with the help of Sarba Siksha Abhijan and district administration for the children and inmates of the area,” the chairperson said.

There are a large number of children and teenagers in this who have either never been to school or are dropouts.

“We have decided to set up the skill development centre because many sex workers have expressed their desire to quit prostitution if they had another source of income. They have assured us all possible help from their side for setting up the Jyoti Kendra and the alternative skill development centre,” she said.

Prejudice, bullying, abusive language, drugs, sexual abuse and violence figure prominently in the lives of the children of sex workers.

Setting up of the Jyoti Kendra may chart out a new course for these children, she felt.

Prostitution has been thriving in this south Assam town since World War II when local girls serviced soldiers travelling to frontline stations through this town.

During the visit, Kakoty also visited a number of schools in Cachar and Karimganj districts and interacted with parents, guardians and community leaders.

She emphasised on imparting quality education to children and recommended construction of separate toilets for girls and boys in the schools.