Written by: Taatparjyo Moitra, M.A. English, 3rd Semester
On the occasion of World Literacy Day, the departments of Media Science and Journalism and English organized an outreach activity. On September 8, the willing students were taken to visit, interact and assist ‘Mahajibon’ near Kharda Police Station. While interacting with the children at the NGO, the university students came to know how lockdown changed education for them.
The activity was supervised by Dr. Poulomi Mitra, Head of the Department and Associate Professor, Department of English and Literary Studies, Brainware University and Dr. Shatabdi Som, Head of the Department and Assistant Professor, Department of Media Science and Journalism, Brainware University.
Students turn teachers: BWU students in action
The students of Brainware University stepped into the shoes of teachers to conduct some learning sessions with the children of the NGO. The children were able to interact with an array of students from Brainware University who offered them insights on subjects ranging from Geography and Art to Literature. Furthermore, this initiative allowed the students to learn how to communicate effectively with people of different classes and ages.
Mohajibon: The only ray of hope – Lives of the children at the NGO
While interacting with the parents, how the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown affected the education of these children, became clear. Moreover, the students had the opportunity to interact with the childrens’ parents. Chanda Bibi, one of the parents said, “The tuition classes my child used to attend ended during the lockdown. He needed a smartphone to join online classes, but we could not afford one.”
Bibi who lost her job also spoke about her dream, “ My dream is that one day he would be able to study well. With education, I know that he would be able to earn a proper livelihood.”
Shonju Sau, another resident of the area explained why her children has to entirely depend on the NGO for education. She said, “The premises of the school my child goes to is very dirty. There is absolutely no hygiene or cleanliness. We have tried to bring our concern to the school officials during a meeting, but nothing has been done.”
Mahajibon NGO: Origin and activities
“The NGO started in 2010 when Subhajeet Mukherjee founded it. He started with helping the local street children. We registered as an NGO in 2014. Since then, we have been working to help under-privileged people and children in areas with inadequate provisions for health, education and nutrition,” said Subhashish Boral, an assistant at the NGO while interacting with the university students.
Boral also informed about the other activities of the NGO. The NGO also deals with disaster management, arranges medical and blood donation camps, Thalassemia screening camps etc. “ One of our current projects is entitled Plastic Free Sundarbans,” he added.
Visit to Mahajibon NGO: Setting an example for the society
Mahajibon NGO is making certain useful contributions towards the underprivileged people of the society. The students of Brainware University are always trained to be better human beings so that they can lead in forming a better society in future. The initiative undertaken on International Literacy Day possibly will set an example for the other members of the student community about their duties towards the society.