Enrollment Drive Targets Slum Children in Bhubaneswar to Bring Dropouts Back to School

Bhubaneswar: In a bid to ensure education for all and reduce the number of school dropouts in urban slums, an enrollment drive titled “Nama Lekha Sachetanata Abhiyan” was conducted at Sikharchandi Nagar (Ward No. 2) and Patharabandha slum (Ward No. 17) under Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation. The drive coincided with the Prabesh Utsav and aimed to identify and enroll children involved in child labour, domestic work, and rag-picking into government schools.

Organized by ActionAid Association in collaboration with the Centre for Child & Women Development (CCWD), the campaign received active support from Government Primary School Second Postal Colony and Government Primary School Sikharchandi Nagar.

The initiative focused on sensitizing slum dwellers about the importance of education through community engagement and awareness slogans such as “Dhara Silata – Dhara Khadi”, “Chala Jiba – Patha Padhi”, and “Sishu Ra Bikash – Desa Ra Bikash”. These slogans resonated with the community, encouraging parents to send their children to school instead of work.

Several educators and community leaders participated in the event, including Sailaprava Panda (Headmistress, Govt Primary School Second Postal Colony), Majulata Behera, Jyoti Prakash Paikaray, Satya Ranjan Behera, Mamuni Nayak (Headmistress, Govt Primary School Sikharchandi Nagar), Arati Das, Sabita Mohanty, and Ranjulata Tripathy.

The drive was efficiently coordinated by Kalyani Rout, Soumya Ranjan Das, Saraswati Parida, Sucharita Behera, Shiba Sahoo, Renubala Sahoo, Smrutirekha Das, Bishnupriya Samal, Snigdha Das, and Bhaskar Chandra Pradhan.

The enrollment campaign marks a crucial step in advancing the Right to Education in Odisha’s urban areas, with a clear message that every child deserves a chance at education and a brighter future.