Guwahati: A government college in Assam’s Sonitpur district has engaged its indigent students to work in a tea garden on the college campus during free time, helping them earn money and pay for their education. Spread over 33 acres of land at Kusumtola area near Jamugurihat town, Tyagbir Hem Baruah College is endowed with a tea garden, besides a fishery, banana groves and lemon plants.
Mainly indigent students from nearby areas work in the tea garden during off periods and earn around Rs 35-40 per hour by plucking leaves. Though it is part of a skill development initiative, the college authorities however have not taken any government aid for it.
Students Study And Earn
Tea cultivation on the college premises was started in 2012. Over 800 hundred needy students have benefited by the initiative in the last 10 years. At least 50 students, who received training in tea cultivation during the past three years they have spent in the college, have started their own tea gardens after completing their studies.
The college sells green leaves from the tea garden to a nearby factory which is owned by one of the alumni of the college. The college, which earns around Rs 1.85 lakh a year by selling tea, aims the students to be doubly benefited in the college study and also earn using their skills.
The college has produced green tea for the first time and launched the product in nearby local markets on June 1 last year. A heritage college established in 1963, the institution under Gauhati University has around 2,200 students in Arts and Science streams, and a total of 74 employees, including 48 teachers.
“We have taken this initiative to cope with the problem of college dropouts due to poverty. We had 23 bighas of land in our college campus, so we decided to start a tea garden to solve the drop out problem. The first priority of the students is their studies and during their leisure time, they work in the tea garden. Another benefit of working in the tea garden here is, they learn the skills of tea plantation. After completing their studies, if they do not find a job, they can start a small scale tea garden in their backyard which will help them to sustain,” Ajit Hazarika, Principal, Tyagbir Hem Baruah College told ABP Live.
Making Students Become Self-Dependent
The college students say that the initiative is quite inspiring for them and they are happy to have become self-dependent even before completing their studies.
“It is inspiring for us. The teachers inspire us a lot to be self-dependent. Now we have become self-dependent and have already started earning. In America, students start earning after the 10th standard. If they can, why can’t we,” asked Yashmin Khan, a student of the college?
The students who are working in the tea garden feel that it will help them in the future. They opined that students should not always depend on their parents to buy petty things like a pen or a copy.
“I feel that this is going to help us in the long run. We will definitely benefit in the future. This practice has taught us to be self-dependent,” said Lekhraj Mugali, another student of the college.
The college is not only helping the poor students meet their educational expenses but also boosting the morale of all 2,200 students. The initiative of the college from a small town of Assam is indeed an inspiration for all in the country.
