Educating the displaced children and much more A humane look at Relief Camp-3 Life School

By Our Staff Reporter
IMPHAL, Jul 4 : Yoihenba can recite the table of 3 like a pro!  But, Rakesh is stuck at 'S' when reciting the English alphabet.
Rakesh, about 7-year-old, is a slow learner and he likes the chocolate bar he gets as reward for identifying letters in the alphabet correctly. Lazy in study, he excels in carrom--even beats elders in a duel.
Even though he can't recite the alphabet from A to Z, he writes his name "Rakesh" very well, thanks to the volunteers at the relief camp opened at Kakching Life School who are hellbent on teaching the alphabet to this ‘gifted’ kid.
Like Yoihenba and Rakesh, there is Langlenthoibi who spells words and reads extremely well.
Langlenthoibi, about 6-year-old, is little but smart and is ambidextrous. She can use both hands with equal ease to write.
Yoihenba, Yohenba, Rakesh, Mangal, Lanchenba, Lamnganba, Tomthinsana, Langlenthoibi, Lanjenthoibi, Henthoi, Joyshree  and Leimasana are few of the children between 4 and 9 staying at the Relief Camp-3 Life School.
With their homes burnt to ashes in the violence, these children are staying at the relief camp with their parents and grandparents.
Most of the inmates at the camp are from Serou, Sugnu and other adjoining places which are among the most vulnerable places at present.
It may be mentioned that the present conflict between the Meiteis and the Kukis erupted on May 3 during the "Tribal Solidarity March" organised by the All Tribal Students' Union Manipur (ATSUM) which turned ugly and violent.
Since then, more than hundred people have lost their lives and hundreds of houses have been burnt displacing thousands of people. These people, displaced by the violence are taking shelter at relief camps opened across many districts.
Relief Camp-3 at Life School Kakching is one such camp opened in Kakching and run  by the Volunteers of Disaster Relief Forum, (VDRF) Manipur.
The Sangai Express had earlier published a report on the life of children at this relief camp and initiatives that were taken up by the volunteers for the inmates.
While the volunteers have been giving tuition from Class IX to XII students since early June, the regular teachers of the Life School have now come forward to teach the children from pre-nursery upto Class VIII at the camp.
The children are clubbed into small groups--Pre Nursery, Nursery, Kg, Class I, II etc according to their age and taught daily for 3-4 hours with breaks and extracurricular activities.
When the school bell rings, they rush to their classrooms and begin their study.
The little ones like their colourful classrooms and sketch pencils.
They listen, write, recite poems and play with their teachers. They like drawing and painting, but most of all they love the sound of the final bell ringing.
The moment the final bell rings, they would shout with joy and run out of the classrooms to their parents.
One of the teachers said she misses teaching the regular students of the school.
"Learning early is important. The children of the camp are in their tender age and like other children they have every right to get education. They should be taught to read and write. Their families have lost everything in the conflict and these children are less fortunate than their peers. They need special attention and care," she said.
The teacher continued that she wants to see the school campus filled with children.
The Government should, at the earliest, solve the present crisis and bring peace in Manipur for schools to open again, she added.
She thanked all individuals and organisations for donating textbooks, books, pens, pencils and eatables for the children at the camp.
The Relief Camp-3 receives generous donations in the form of aid and relief materials from different quarters.
Just a few days ago, cutting across religion and community affiliation, members of the Maring Uparap Assembly and several Maring civil society organisations visited the camp and donated vegetables--banana stems, pumpkins, ash gourds, coriander etc grown in the hills.
On the other hand, as part of its endeavour to provide skills and means of earning livelihood, the Volunteers of Disaster Relief Forum, Manipur is giving Kouna craft training to the inmates.
More such skill development training will be given to the inmates in the coming days. They will be trained on bamboo craft, making candles, incense sticks etc, said the volunteers.
Moreover, the women inmates are being engaged by the volunteers in agricultural activities occasionally.
"The women wanted work that pays daily wages. They asked for work in the fields. So, we are providing them with works related to agriculture and allied activities like sowing paddy and weeding etc when any farmer in the nearby area needs manpower and approaches the volunteers. This way they are able to earn a little. They want more work," said the volunteers.
One of the volunteers said rehabilitating the displaced people is going to be a mammoth and momentous work and providing them the means of earning livelihood is crucial.
The people at the camps must be given skill development training that will give them the means to earn livelihood. While skill development training is important, the training requires materials and tools. Imparting training alone is not enough. The Government and the authorities concerned should provide them the materials as well as the tools for them to earn livelihood on their own, said the volunteer.
With more than 35 minors, the camp has around 100 people.
For more details and assistance, the Volunteers of Disaster Relief Forum (VDRF) Manipur can be reached at Mobile Nos 9863019023 and 9436800388.
VDRF Manipur, founded in 2015, is a forum that provides relief to victims of disaster.
VDRF was active during the COVID-19 pandemic. It provided relief materials and all kinds of essential and medical services to the people during the pandemic.
It also provided relief to the victims of the 2015 flood in Manipur.