Children attending an evening class conducted by the Red Connection Ministry in Super Market, Dimapur. Initiated in 2014 to help less privileged children gain better access to education, the Red Connection Ministry has ramped up efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure that the children do not miss out on their education. (Morung Photo)
Red Connection Ministry helping children keep up with education during pandemic
Rebecca K Kits
Dimapur | November 2
Every evening, a group of children throng to the building behind The Garden in Super Market, Dimapur.
For the next few hours, the almost empty office complex will be filled with voices of enthusiastic children reading aloud from their books, followed by music and songs from the worship session.
This is a daily affair for these 40-odd children in the Super Market area in Dimapur under the Red Connection Ministry programme.
With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, education was one of the most affected sectors all over the world. According to UNESCO data, nearly half of the world’s students are still affected by partial or full school closures, and over 100 million additional children will fall below the minimum proficiency level in reading as a result of the health crisis.
With school closures, the education process had to shift from classrooms to online learning and children have been subjected to a sudden change in their learning process. For those hailing from less privileged backgrounds, the struggle has been even more, given their limited or no access to online classes and the lack of resources to adapt to the new normal.
Recognizing this struggle, the Red Connection ministry in Dimapur has ramped up efforts to cater to the educational needs of children in the Super Market area, many of whom come from broken families and are economically disadvantaged.
Started in 2014 with the vision to educate children in the Super Market area, the Red Connection Ministry is run by Katrin Kinimi and Akihito Kinimi. Tutoring, house calls, and spiritual sessions are part of the programme aimed at helping the children’s overall growth.
While the programme and sponsorship initiative began in 2014, the COVID-19 pandemic has made such programmes even more necessary and relevant, especially for children from the economically weaker sections of the society.
For more than a year, the children only had online lessons and unfortunately they did not learn much as many of them do not have the necessary cell phones or computers. In such a situation, the regular evening classes helped them stay in constant touch with their books and ensured continuity of learning.
“The COVID-19 pandemic situation has made things worse for many children, especially in their education process. We want to ensure that no child is left behind in the transition and that they all have access to proper education, as much as possible,” Akihito Kinimi shared with The Morung Express.
Every evening, various activities are conducted to keep the children engaged, besides the tuition and worship sessions. Skill development sessions are also held at regular intervals besides hygiene, etiquette and grooming sessions to equip the children with basic life skills.
“There are many concerned individuals who have come forward to help these children. We are just a bridge between the sponsors and the children,” Kinimi informed.
Having started out with 15 children seven years ago under the sponsorship programme, the Red Connection Ministry now has 28 students under its fold. However, at present, more than 40 children from the vicinity turn up for the daily classes, he informed.
Our purpose is to ensure that these children benefit from the programmes and go on to lead better lives, Kinimi added.
