Steven Smith Memorial Scholarship Award given away

From our Staff Correspondent

Dibrugarh, July 16: The Steven Smith Memorial Scholarship Award giving ceremony, organized by one of the prominent NGOs, SEWA at Romai Tea Estate recently, was attended by Dibrugarh Deputy Commissioner, MS Manivann as chief guest.

Maivan, while speaking on the occasion, lauded the organizer for their sincere efforts to uplift the status of education among the students of the tea garden community and encouraged the award winners and other students to continue their education dedicatedly. The chief guest appreciated the guest, Kim Dement and her team from USA for attending the function and handing over the scholarship award to the students

“As the tea gardens are lacking ME and High school educatiol facilities within the tea garden premises, the students have to travel a distance of 2.5 kilometer for attending class. In such a situation fincial support as well as hold up of parents will boost the morale of students in continuing education,” said Manivann.

Kim Dement, wife of Steven Smith, representing the Steve Smith Tea maker said that she was delighted to meet the scholarship award winners students  and stated that her husband Steven Smith had been supporting the coaching centre since 2012 onwards. Remarking on her deceased husband Steven, she said that he had always supported the School Education /Retention programme which provides academic coaching and scholarship to disadvantaged secondary school students in the tea estates of Assam

She gave away a persol citation letter of appreciation to these students for successfully completing the High School examition. Kim wished the students for their success and hoped that they would continue their higher studies. She was accompanied by her son Jack Smith and daughters Annie Bourne and Diyan Isaacs at the iugural function

Earlier, the project director of SEWA, Arfan Hussain welcomed the guests and others who during deliberation said that scholarship was provided to “support the students of tea garden areas with fincial support for further higher studies”.

This year 40 students, Hussain said, had been supported with fincial assistance by Steve Smith Tea maker. He further disclosed that 116 students were benefitted with fincial support till now to continue higher education. SEWA’s Project Director also highlighted SEWA CHAI activities, like vocatiol training on different trades for drop-out students, economic development, and promotion of fuel efficiency stoves, which are undergoing in these tea gardens

“All total 40 students were awarded with a cheque of Rs 10,000 as fincial support , certificate of appreciation and a bag to all HSLC passed students of tea garden communities in 2016,” Hussain stated.

The award giving ceremony was attended, amongst others, by Chief Advisor, SEWA, Air Marshal (Rtd) Anjan Kumar Gogoi, SEWA secretary, Altaf Hussain , Mager of Romai Tea Estate, Pradip Tiwari and representatives from SEWA CHAI project, ACMS and ATTSA Members and staffs, teachers of Romai L.P School.