Bhubaneswar: Surunji Minyak looks content for being able to inspire more than hundreds of drop-out children to come back to school and pursue their studies. A Plus Two graduate, she has been teaching students for more than two years now.

Surunji, who hails from the tribal-dominated Rayagada district, came to Bhubaneswar on Saturday along with another teacher from Nabarangpur, Samai Majhi, to attend a workshop on a creative collaboration for reading in tribal regions under the Creative Language Development Effort (CLDE) programme. She is working as a sikshya sathi (educator friend) for a programme run by the NGO Agragamee.

Surunji said: "When I was recruited by Agragamee to bring back students to schools, I was happy to be able to work for the cause of my own people. I started teaching them on our tribal language Kui which is easily understood by them."

She said: "As I started teaching Odia book Kau Dakee Kaa in our mother-tongue, the students of our tribal area started developing an interest in studies. Then I took them to the various schools in the morning and when they came back, I started teaching them on their own language. Every day, I motivate the children and their parents on how studying will help them in their livelihood."

Narrating her experience, she said: "Sometimes, I use to dance and organise dancing and singing events on our language to attract both the kids and their parents to come back to schools."

Samai is happy but also sad at the same time. " I just came to know that the project under which I am working will come to an end very soon. I used to get a remuneration of Rs 7,000 per month. This money is enough for me to lead a decent life. I wonder how will I work for my people if the project is closed."

She added: "Even when children go to schools, their learning is hampered by several factors such as difference in mother tongue. Parents are unable to help in them in their education. Even teachers find it tough to communicate to the tribal kids in their language. As a result, the children fail to pursue their studies. Here, we play a major role by communicating to them on our own language."

Attending the programme, linguist D.P. Pattanayak said: "One needs to understand the crucial importance of imparting education through mother tongue." He emphasised the need for having more literature in tribal languages.

Joint director of Agragamme Vidya Das said: "The CLDE programme has been able to bring about synergistic collaboration between the government, a non-profit organisation and an international aid agency for much-needed quality education in the tribal regions."