An ambitious project ‘Diya Bati- One Mentor One Child’, has been launched in Sepahijala district on Wednesday by Social Welfare Minister Santana Chakma.
The idea of the District level scheme is truly unique: Support to one vulnerable child by one officer. It is an innovative scheme that seeks to help and support underprivileged, hapless and vulnerable children for their overall growth – in socio economic spheres as well as psychologically. The children will be identified from in 11 categories like that of orphans, abandoned, single-parent child, differently abled, victims of child marriages etc. And each of them will have a senior level officer as the child’s ‘mentor’. As on today as many 1941 such children have been identified and they will now can hope for a brighter future.
District Magistrate of Sepahijala Vishwasree B who played a key role to come out the scheme and implement it said, the mentorship of the senior officials for a child will be ‘voluntary’.
“The basic idea of the scheme is that one senior level officer would mentor one vulnerable child—the mentors provide required support to the children, it’s totally voluntary”, she said.
She said, generally, the Social Welfare and Social Education department provides help to such children. But, then there are some of the children in such categories who don’t fit as the beneficiary of the existing schemes and they need additional attention.
The children in 14-17 age groups require special attention because of the physical and emotional growth; they need support of a person who can guide them, who can mentor them and who can support them when and as required. There are 243 children in Class- IX to XII in the Sepahijala district and it is expected that 243 mentors would provide them required support.
The officials are expecting that the scheme would be a proper channel for the persons, who have an innate desire to help others in need but they can’t do so due to non-availability of the channel.
The scheme is a joint initiative of Sepahijala District Administration, District Child Protection Unit, Sepahijala and Social Welfare and Social Education department under Tripura Beti Bachao, Beti Padao Abhiyan.
Social Welfare and Social Education minister Santana Chakma launched the scheme at Chhayanat Hall of Karaimura in presence of other dignitaries including Zilla Sabhadhipati Supriya Das Dutta, District Magistrate, Sepahijala Vishwasree B and social activist Anjan Purkayasta.
