Good Samaritans to light up lives of tribal children

Kannur: Courier delivery men these days walk into Kannur collector Mir Mohammed Ali’s camp office with a unique item: solar lantern. They are not meant to light up his bungalow but to brighten the lives of the tribal students in the remote Aralam Government High School. The children are now busy preparing for their annual examinations, and cannot depend on erratic power supply in their colonies deep inside the forest. The solar lanterns have been ordered by good Samaritans in response to a request Mr Ali posted on his official Facebook page.

“With exams coming soon, it would be great if the bright students from Aralam also have the same access to light that we all do. One can help these students by illuminating their lives, both literally and metaphorically, by ordering one of these solar lantern lights from the wish list that we have created in the shopping site.” Kannur assistant collector Geromic George, who is in charge of the project, said that administration so far received 43 solar lanterns via online shopping sites against a target of 100.  “We shall give the lamps next week itself to students of 9th and 10th standards as their exams are very important,” he said. “Then remaining ones will be given to others.”

The district administration has initiated several projects including interactive sessions and educative campaigns for the uplift of the tribal community settled in the farm. “Recently we have conducted a quiz programme for 7th and 8th standard students aimed at boosting the learning interest among students and it was a great success,” Mr George said. The school has 392 students on its roll of which 104 are in ninth and tenth standards. Aralam Farm is one of the largest tribal settlements in Asia spread on 7558.2 acres of which 4059.96 acres have been given to the tribal people for settlement in 2004 after it was taken over from State Farming Corporation of India. At present, 1,618 people live in the settlement.