Deputy Commissioner, Bishnupur, Pooja Elangbam today launched a Mobile Canteen Initiative run by Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) for school students at New Model Public School, Kumbi. Speaking at the occasion, the DC stated that the mobile canteen is a commendable initiative that would greatly benefit the IDPs by providing them with a source of income through the sale of food items at schools. She further informed that the mobile canteen facility will be extended to all schools across the district, with the initiative formally beginning at Kumbi today. Through this mobile canteen facility, students will have access to tasty and nutritious meals whenever the canteen is set up, thereby benefitting both the students and the IDPs. The canteen will operate in schools two to three times a week, depending on the demand of the respective schools, she added.
During the launching programme, the Deputy Commissioner also interacted with the students and encouraged them to study sincerely and stay focused during their student life, emphasizing that these formative years would never return. She remarked that with determination and the will to excel, students can achieve success in whatever they aspire to do. The launching programme was also attended by Rohan Philem, Social Activist, along with representatives from the Zonal Education Office (ZEO), Bishnupur. Later in the day, the Deputy Commissioner also attended a Community Solidarity Event organised by Solidarity and Action Against the HIV Infection in India (SAATHI) and Empowering Trans Ability (ETA), supported by the American Jewish World Service, at Kiyamba Shanglen, Bishnupur.
Addressing the gathering, Pooja Elangbam appreciated SAATHI and ETA for their efforts in empowering people affected by HIV through various initiatives. She lauded the spirit of community support and assured that the District Administration will extend all possible assistance to the transgender community, including the issuance of identity cards, awareness on rights, and initiatives aimed at their upliftment.
