By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Dec 17: Over 300 students participated in the first winter camps sponsored by the East Jaintia Hills district administration through the District Mineral Foundation.
According to a statement here, the winter camps — as part of the ‘ia ka Mynried’ initiative, which translates to ‘for a better tomorrow’ in Pnar language — aimed at tackling poor communication skills and a lack of confidence among adolescents, particularly amidst rising concerns over substance abuse in mining-affected communities.
The curriculum of the programme, developed by implementing agency AVENUES, focusses on building confidence, basic communication skills and healthy coping habits against exposure to substance abuse.
“The winter camps also provide a platform for the students to showcase their talents in an effort to build self-esteem and identify personal strengths. The training interventions are targeted at students of Classes 7, 8 and 9, and are delivered over a duration of 24 hours spread across 6 days,” the statement said. The students, who were part of the winter camps, were felicitated at a certification event, which was held on Tuesday at Khliehriat Higher Secondary School, and was attended by Sutnga-Saipung MLA, Santa Mary Shylla, and East Jaintia Hills Deputy Commissioner, Shivansh Awasthi.
During the programme, the Wellbeing Pledge was taken against drugs and substance abuse, while participants shared their experiences and showcased their talents.
During one of the sessions, Alrik Shylla, a class 9 student, shared his story about being born and brought up in Khliehriat.
“Many people here, even those of my age, are addicted to drugs. But I am choosing to walk a different path. I am so glad that they have brought the winter camps to us where we are learning about the dangers of drug abuse and how to avoid them. Our group has come up with a slogan which says, ‘If you can skip it for a day, you can skip it for a lifetime’. I am very much inspired to help spread awareness against drug abuse,” Shylla said.
Similarly, Xevia Samantha Sympli, a Class 7 student, while referring to the programme, remarked, “I learnt to use the 4 S’s — Stand, See, Smile and Speak — to communicate clearly and confidently. It was also interesting to learn the five elements about ourselves: Hobbies, Talents, Interests, Skills and Qualities.”
Speaking about the sessions on substance abuse awareness, she said, “Drugs are really dangerous for our health and the environment or relationships we have with others. The meaning of ‘ia ka Mynried’ is ‘for the future’ and these winter camps will really help us improve our well-being for the future.”
Meanwhile, in her address as the chief guest, the Sutnga-Saipung MLA expressed hope that the programme would continue in other schools and communities across the district.
“The District Mineral Foundation has always been supportive and proactive in providing opportunities for our district. This programme brings two of our focus areas together—Education and Health. Standing on stage is not easy. If we have to speak and share a message, we become even more frightened. And I’m sure that this programme has helped build your courage towards presenting yourself better on stage—to speak and to show your talents,” Shylla said.
Similarly, the DC, while highlighting the district’s challenges, said, “Drug abuse is a major issue, particularly in our district. It’s not enough to simply say that we will not do it. We have to work as a team to fight it. To do that, we need to know the harm it causes in the long run to us, our families and our society. This programme ‘ia ka Mynried’ is for you because you are the future of our state, our country and the whole world.”
Speaking about his hopes for the initiative, he said, “A very important objective of this programme is to encourage talent display. Many of you have hidden talents and we want you to be able to share that with confidence. We hope to identify and help showcase really good talents from amongst you inbigger platforms at the district and state levels. This is just the beginning, and we look forward to bringing in more programmes and platforms for you in the near future.”
Others who were part of the programme were Principal of Khliehriat Higher Secondary School Br. Solomon Swer, schoolteachers, AVENUES Founder-CEO Mark Laitflang Stone along with the team members.
Certificates were distributed to students, including participants from neighbouring Dkhiah East Secondary School and Khliehriat Presbyterian Higher Secondary School.
“The training interventions under ‘ia ka Mynried’ Winter Camps will extend to more schools in the area in the coming months with the objective to reach more than 1,700 youths in the district,” the statement said.