The Foundation reaches out to the needy and the deserving
Six students to be selected for scholarship
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, April 01 2015 : It is not just opening the door but also extending a hand out to help the needy and the deserving.

Actor and social activist Rahul Bose has melded the two in a near perfect harmony with REACH (Restoring Equality through Education and Advancement of Children), through The Foundation, an NGO, which is all set to implement "The Manipur Scholarship Initiative" in the State.

The Manipur Scholarship Initiative will provide educational scholarship from class VII to XII to six selected students in New Era High School located in Panchgani, Maharashtra.

Speaking exclusively to The Sangai Express this evening, Rahul Bose said that his NGO The Foundation under its program called REACH initiated its first educational scholarship in Andaman and Nicobar Islands in 2006 with an objective to connect parts of the country that have not experienced equal opportunities by availing highest educational standard to the selected students which in turn can transform society and bridge the inequalities.

The New Era High School, Panchgani

The initiative was taken up two years after the Tsunami in December 2004 .

He said that the one of ways to bridge the inequalities is to let children from other parts of the country mingle in a school, change their mindsets of other communities and learn to establish a balanced and secular outlook.

The next way to build the bridge is to provide a chance to parents to experience friendly relationship among all the students.

The next way is to let parents of the selected students visit their children and observe the similarities between all the parents with regard to the well being of their children.

The next step is to respect the choices of other individuals which are based on their cultures, traditions.

Exchange trips for parents of the students is the other way to build the bridge.

Rahul Bose said standard VI to VII were primarily set for the selection of the scholarship initiative as according to sociologists and psychologists this is the best stage for a child to cope with changes.

However, in Manipur, there is a law that prohibits children under the age of 11 to be taken away due to trafficking and other related cases.

Therefore, standard VII to XII was set particularly for the State.

Stressing on the criteria for applying for the Manipur Scholarship Initiative, Rahul Base said that students need to be indigenous residents of the State, parents' income should be below Rs 15,000 a month and students should secure at least between 55 per cent and 60 per cent in their last academic result.

Selection will be based on the creativity of the students and the final selection will be effected in October this year.

Setting up a branch of The Foundation here took a year and under the guidance of the State Government and authorities concerned, staff of The Foundation, Manipur branch have been visiting schools across the State to distribute the application forms.

When asked as to what made him choose Manipur for his scholarship initiative, Rahul Bose said that he had heard about the unrest in the State, struggles of Irom Sharmila, the success story of Mary Kom.

All these drew him to Manipur, he added.