Reaching out to the needy and deserving : Kids do need education
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: April 04 2015 -

Milk of human kindness flowing from the remnants of a tragedy. Perhaps this should sum up the initiative taken up by the NGO, The Foundation through its unique programme christened REACH (Restoring Equality through Education and Advancement of Children).

After Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Jammu and Kashmir, Manipur is the target this time and come October and six students will be chosen to make their way to New Era High School, located at Panchgani, Maharashtra.

The tragic Tsunami of December 2004 sowed the seeds of this venture and one primary objective of the endeavour is to encourage the chosen students to come back here and contribute their might towards society.

A point which was underlined in clear cut terms by Rahul Bose, the main architect of such a noble venture, while interacting with The Sangai Express on April 1.

Providing opportunities to deprived children to mingle with children from other parts of the country under one roof is one of the noble objectives besides educating them.

Education with a mission, is therefore the driving force behind the endeavour taken up by Bose and his colleagues at The Foundation.

No laughing matter it is to take six children under its wing and provide them world class education at some of the best institutions in the country and this is an effort that should be acknowledged by one and all.

Time can only tell how far the mission is successful but a significant beginning has been made and it is this which is praiseworthy.

The criteria for selecting the students should also leave no one in doubt that The Foundation has set its eyes on children who will otherwise not get the opportunity to join the race to excellence.

Not academic excellence alone but excellence in being human beings.

Not the first scholarship but there is something unique here for it is not very often that one gets to see people coming from other parts of the country to personally oversee the process of selecting the students.

This is what people from The Foundation have been doing and this is something profound.

Noble intention it is and there is a valuable lesson for everyone here.

Not something which can be taken up light heartedly for it involves kids and their future.

Definitely one of the better ways of giving back something to society. The I care, We care, stand is unmistakable.

The Foundation is here to do a job and apart from extending the needed co-operation, the top honchos of the State Government would do well to take a leaf or two out of the noble gesture that has been launched here.

No one is asking the Government to provide anyone free education or sponsor any student as such, but the least it can do is place the needed importance on the state of education.

Perhaps this is the ideal time for the Government to study why parents of thousands of students feel constrained to send their children outside Manipur to pursue their higher education.

The people, especially the civil society organisations too need to ponder over this point. The Foundation is intent on providing the needed opportunity to six students.

The question is whether society as whole will be ready to let them live up to their potential when they do return.