KOLKATA: Underprivileged children educated by NGO Peoples’ Cultural
Organisation, Chetona, have done exceptionally well in their Madhyamik
exams. Chetona, an NGO at Hatibagan has taken up the cause of
educating under-privileged children of near-by areas for the past
twenty years. Rahul Saduka, a star holder in this year’s Madhyamik
said, “My father works in a factory. I’ve been able to do well because
Chetona took the initiative to teach us. I’ve changed as a person, now
I don’t consider myself inferior.” The organisation had begun picking
up street children and educating them. Around 70 students of Classes 1
to 10 are taught daily from 6:30 pm to 8:30-9:00 pm. “We want to
create a healthy society,” said Gautam Rudra, secretary of Chetona.
The eight-member team run organisation has around thirty instructors
who are retired teachers and professors of schools. The organisation’s
former students all render voluntary service. “The children are mostly
slum dwellers or belong to the middle-class thrown into poverty,” said
Amitabha Bhattacharya, assistant secretary, Chetona. Shoumen, another
student of the organisation could not get a first division in
Madhyamik because of a family mishap. His father became mentally
unstable and left the house just before Shoumen was to appear for the
Madhyamik. “We have students who face difficult situations and are
governed by an inferiority complex,” said Bhattacharya. Chiranjeev, a
member of Drishya, a young film study group, who has joined hands with
Chetona, said, “Bollywood attracts everyone but it indirectly
manipulates an inferiority complex and endows upon these children the
feeling that they are marginal.” “We have shown them ‘Bicycle Thieves’
which they understood well and could also relate to it,” he added.
Drishya plans to make a documentary on the under-privileged children,
start editing courses and organise workshops with cameras for them.
“We need funds. We have been knocking on the doors of government and
other bodies for some grants,” said Chiranjeev. Deepa Dey, a resident
of Manicktala and a student of Chetona who has scored a first division
said, “Whatever knowledge I have, it’s from Chetona. I never thought I
could score a first division but the teachers here gave me the
confidence. I want to study further and become a doctor.” — SNS http://www.thestatesman.net/afternoon/page.pnews.php?clid=4&nid=888&edt=aft&pub=stmn&pdate=2005-06-18