:: By Parboti Rani Singh (Translated by Silvanus Lamin)::

Riku Rani Paul, a young girl of potter community from Netrakona set up a Learning Centre for students of her community who are deprived from the light of education with her own initiative. She herself also has to struggle for education due to poverty and lack of awareness regarding the importance of education from the community she belongs. The 30 potter households in the area lead a hardship life and livelihood due to the less demand of the products they made from mud. The advent of plastic goods is responsible for that. Thus the income of the community shrinks every day making life difficult for living let alone sending kids for education! They are striving to uphold their existence and tradition as well. So, the backwardness in education is not only they do not have the access to education but the striking poverty leads them concentrating on earning livelihood rather than achieving education!

Riku Rani Paul has to undergo all the adversities when she determines of receiving education instead of staying in darkness and curse life. The environment around her was not much favorable for education. In every step of her life she faces difficulties and distraction. But she is very much self-motivated and nothing stops her to reach her destination! The support from her parents has also made her way to reach the goal she sets for her. Riku Paul has a dream setting herself as example for her community. She wants to remove all the darkness in the life of her community with the light of education. Thus she got admitted in the university. She experiences many things about life, education, culture, civilization in her every day interaction with different ages, classes and races of people in her university life. She realizes that the potters are neither a low cast nor untouchable community. Whatever they do being potter is an art in human life. So, they are entitle to have education alike other communities. They things they make with mud needs to be promoted so that they could be treated as respectful community who contribute in the economy of the state a others!

With the objective to enlighten the community, Riku Rani Paul does not confine the education she receives about human life and civilization in herself alone. She takes initiative to shower the knowledge among her community! Thus she sets up learning center with the objective to educate the children among her community. She wants the children from her community making their place in society and state being armed with education and knowledge. She wants her community people to start dreaming of their wellbeing being guided by the educated generation! And her learning centers will play vital role to sow the seeds of dream among the community. Things are happening in accordance with her will and dream. The support and assistance from some community people has also given strong foundation to her dream. The learning center is in place now and students get education from her!

Presently, 25 young kids study in her learning center. The children learn the lessons every day. Riku Paul helps them to feel free in the learning center acting as much possible as their guardian and friend! The children do not only learn text book lessons there but also social and moral values that could make them active, responsible and dynamic good citizens of the state. They have the opportunity to play different types of local and traditional games and sports, making different things from the muds along with education. And all these sorts of activities are overseen by Riku Rani Pual herself! The students thus being in jolly mode feel free to learn various things associated with human life. Riku Paul also is happy and proud thinking that she could do something to make those people smile within her capacity.

Different people in the area have witnessed regarding how young Riku Paul changes things in a positive way. Now they dare to dream. The community has the belief that young generation could make positive difference in the society and state if they have the good will in them. We believe, there are many Riku Paul in our homelands who try with their best to make positive difference in the life of people without expecting anything in exchange! However, the initiative of Riku Paul has at least encouraged the 30 potter households of Bakorpur village of Netrakuna to dream of a life with full respect and prosperity. Let many Riku Paul get born in our homeland every day to shine their light and wisdom to the underprivileged people for a harmonized and enriched society and state.