news details |
|
|
| Empowerment through Education | | Jeewika Bhat's Mission Kashmir | | Dr Raja Muzaffar Bhat
She was only six months old when her family had to migrate from their ancestral town of Baramulla to Delhi during the peak of militancy in the year 1990. Brought up and educated in the metropolitan atmosphere of Delhi, Jeewika Bhat is back in Kashmir these days. She has not come to Kashmir as a tourist, but she is here for a cause which is associated with school education and for accomplishing this mission, she has voluntarily chosen North Kashmir's Bandipora district which is a remote districts of our state. Jeewika has been assigned the task of strengthening learning capacities of middle school children enrolled in some Government schools of Bandipora.
Early Life:
Jeewika Bhat was born in early 1990's at Baramulla and after the migration of her family, she he did her schooling at Rohini area of Delhi. Jeewika completed her Bachelors degree in Applied Life sciences from Delhi University and later-on did her post graduation in Environment Management . She worked in a private environmental consultancy at Pune for two years and her urge towards ensuring quality education in Government and low income private schools landed her at Teach for India (TFI) a renowned Mumbai based Non Government Organisation (NGO). Jeewika is associated with TFI from the last one year on a 2 year fellowship programme and she teaches students hailing from lower income groups at a low income private school located at Kashmiri Gate ,Delhi.
Coming to Bandipora:
The District Administration Bandipora initiated its New Leaf Initiative (NLI) few months back on the instructions of J&K's Education Minister Naeem Akhtar. The aim of this initiative is to enhance the learning capabilities of children enrolled in Government schools across Bandipora district and the special focus is made on primary and middle school children. To make NLI more participatory and student friendly, the District Administration got in touch with some prominent NGO's working in education sector across India. In order to make best use of their experiences , the District Administration looped in Teach for India (TFI) NGO and requested them to come to Bandipora. TFI agreed to send some of its volunteers to Bandipora for being part of New Leaf Initiative (NLI). Pertinent to mention that getting associated with New Leaf Initiative (NLI) is a voluntary job for which neither the District Administration nor the State Government pays any remuneration. Jeewika along with some more TFI fellows volunteered to come over to Bandipora for some months. In-spite of being groomed in a quite different atmosphere , Jeewika still speaks fluent Kashmiri and that is really helping her while she interacts with school children in Bandipora. Jeewika says that she has found people of Kashmir very cooperative and kind and feels Bandipora is like her home and wants to come to Kashmir again and again.
National NGO's Involved:
Right now as many as ten volunteers (fellows) from Teach for India NGO (TFI) are busy with teaching students at various Government primary and middle schools in Bandipora under the New Leaf Initiative (NLI) . Sunil Gill from Haryana , Veenu from Rajasthan , Surekha from Karnataka, Gursimran from Delhi , Nadiya from Punjab Delhi are some other volunteers associated with TFI who are camping in Bandipora from the last two weeks and are given task to teach at various Government middle / primary schools in the district. Pratham which is also a prominent NGO working in education sector across India , is currently busy in training Government school teachers in Gurez area which is considered to be one of the remotest areas of Jammu & Kashmir. NGO's like Sphere India and Gyan Setu have also been involved to work with Government school children of Bandipora.
Tailpiece:
Kashmiri pandits are very much part and parcel of our society. Their contribution towards education will be always remembered. Rather than involving politics and Governments for their safe return, some initiatives have to be taken at Non Governmental level and that would be more fruitful and workable according to my personal experience. We must hardly care what is being discussed on TV channels vis a vis return of Kashmiri pandits. Prominent citizens from both the communities must hold series of meetings and roundtables and I am sure we will find some solution. Before such an atmosphere is created I would suggest that more and more young people like Jeewika who belong to Kashmiri Pandit community must come and visit their homeland and start interacting with Kashmiri muslims especially the youth. I think Kashmiri youth from both the communities are the major stakeholders towards ensuring safe return of Kashmiri Pandits to their homeland (Kashmir) and younger generation from both the communities must play their role towards coming closer to each other.
Dr Raja Muzaffar Bhat is a Social Activist based in Budgam Kashmir
email: [email protected] |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
STOCK UPDATE |
|
|
 |
| BSE
Sensex |
 |
| NSE
Nifty |
|
|
| |
CRICKET UPDATE |
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
