IGNOU starts study centre at Sonagachi, over 30 apply

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Shiv Sahay Singh

Posted online: Monday , February 25, 2008 at 02:00:06
Updated: Monday , February 25, 2008 at 02:19:42

Kolkata, February 24 Soma Sen, a sex worker in Sonagachi, is eagerly awaiting the study material for her Bachelors Preparatory Programme (BPP) — a programme for graduation organised by the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU).

After seven years as a sex worker, 30-year-old Soma is a regular to the classes being held on Saturdays and Sundays at Sonagachi.

Soma is not an exception — she is one of the 15 sex workers (all aged between 18 to 30 years) who have enrolled for the programme.

To facilitate the urge of education among these sex workers, IGNOU has opened the study centre on January 27, with the help of a NGO working in the area. The programmes being offered are BPP, BA, Certificate of Women Empowerment and Development (CWED), Certificate in Aids and Family Welfare (CAFE), Certificate in Food and Nutrition (CFN) and Certificate in Guidance (CIG).

According to NGO officials, in the ensuing academic session, over 30 sex workers have filled up forms to enrol in these training courses.

“These courses can help them in getting recruited,” said Bansibadan Chattopadhyay, the study centre co-ordinator and headmaster of Kasba Jagadish Vidlaya.

S S Singh, deputy director of the centre, said: “The NGO had approached us to start a centre in the area. And we readily accepted the proposal.”

“Since the people living in the area are marginalised on several fronts, if they can be educated, this marginalisation can be reduced to a considerable extent,” said Govinda Saha, a representative of the NGO. He added, “We have written to the IGNOU headquarters to allow the students to avail the services of the university free of cost.”

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