Article from The Hindu: Enrollment Drive By UNICEF

Enrollment campaign by UNICEF
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Source: The Hindu (http://www.hinduonnet.com/2008/05/20/stories/2008052055730300.htm)
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School enrolment drive gets fillip

Correspondent

UNICEF’s integrated campaign in Koraput district makes headway

KORAPUT: “I had left my village school after studying up to Standard V for the fear of failing in most of the subjects, especially in mathematics,” says Baido Majhi, the eldest son of Padlam Majhi of Paiko Puki village in Dasmantpur block of Koraput district who discontinued his schooling a year ago. He found more pleasure in catching fish than going to school. But, he was not able to convince his friend Durjya Majhi to follow his footsteps. Durjya has continued his studies and this year he is going to join a nearby school enjoying a hostel life.
The joy of being in school is clearly visible among his friends like Durjya and this rekindled a lost desire to get into the school, go through the books and be a regular student rather than being called a drop-out. At this junction, an integrated campaign by UNICEF has been initiated in Koraput district to enroll drop-out children in schools, Biranchi Paikray, District Coordinator of ANKUR, the joint initiative of UNICEF and the district administration, says. The uniqueness of this year’s enrolment drive is the importance given to the participation of different stake holders in the field of development, he adds.

Joint effort

While women like Kamala Khora, ward member, and Chakradhar Majhi, Village Education Committee (VEC) member of Paiko Puki have come forward to join hands with youth volunteers in organising rallies in villages, child reporters like Puspanjali Khora and Gitanjali Dongri played their role as the agents of change, Nalin Takri, secretary of NIRMAN, the organisation whose volunteers have given their support, say.
Having been supported by the community , the UNICEF and the district administration, who have come together in the district to bring back even the girls like Bhagabati Majhi, Gori Majhi, Nabina Khosla apart from seven more boys to get attracted towards the school once again, he says.
Bhagavati is now confident of going ahead with her studies as her parents are more convinced this time and have sent her to school with a greater conviction than last year when she was asked to leave the school to take charge of the household work.
However, such experiences are not only limited to Paiko Puki alone. The villagers in the far-flung areas like Kotia in the inner circle of many mountain folds of the eastern ghat region in the district too have come forward to enable their children to be in school. Children have been enrolled from the inaccessible pockets of the region as parents from Arju Valasa, Jahnkar Valsa, Tadi valsa, Dhulipadar, Katragada, Kanadora and many other villages have come in large numbers to make the campaign one of the most memorable event, says Mr. Paikray.

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