In Navjyoti’s Community College for the youth at Manjri Karala-New Delhi, 700 to 800 students pass out annually to become self-reliant individuals through the vocational training they receive in the courses of their choice. The students are encouraged to show their entrepreneurship and begin their lives by starting their specific businesses. The courses are related to: Computers, Automobile Repairs, Beauty Culture, Stitching & Tailoring, Nursery Teachers Training, Retail Management, Electrical Training, Hardware & Networking (related to repairs of computers & laptops).
The students who apply are from both the genders, and they are coming from daily-wage-parents, vegetable sellers, labourers working in factories. There are children coming from slums and resettlement colonies. A few are having monetary resources, but their upbringing is very orthodox. So to persuade the girls from this background to join the classes for careers can be a tough task as their parents are only interested for early marriages for their girls.
Around the Republic Day celebrations of 2017 – I spent some quality time with the staff and students at the Manjri Karala centre. For me, my Delhi trips are not complete if I have not met up with the Navjyoti Team. So, meeting up with Ujala Bedi, Neetu Sharma, Sheetal Shah and mingling with the students was a great way for me to spend my day. Ujala Bedi’s team spirit is something else! Neetu Sharma is associated with the organization for the last 16 years (from 2001), when Dr. Kiran Bedi was Deputy Commissioner of Police of North Delhi. Sheetal Shah works closely with Neetu Shah.
It was interesting to meet some students – Shahnaj Khan enrolled in (Beauty Culture Course). Duration of her training is four and half months. Priyanka Pal (NTT – Nursery Teachers Training). Duration of her training is 2 years. Karan Sain enrolled in Basic Course in IT – Internet Technology. Duration of his training is four and half months.
I also talked with an ex-student, now a trainer for IT Course – Neha Kaushik. She earned a Diploma from outside, and presently she is training 48 students under her at Manjri Karala.
Ujala Bedi elaborated on the history of this place. Originally, to begin with, the place was established as: Nasha-Mukti Kendra, and drug de-addiction programs were not only for poor kids from the streets, or, for those who came from broken homes. There were upper strata society members, like, engineers and doctors trapped by drug addiction. Nasha Mukti Kendra became their abode for salvation. Thousands of lives were saved by the vision of Dr. Kiran Bedi whose realization communicated to her team members that cure to the social problem would not come by arresting drug addicts. The actual cure lay in treating people.
Navjyoti – You shine! Keep on shinning!
Geeta Chhabra
