NAHARLAGUN, Jun 28: Governor BD Mishra along with his wife Neelam Misra and SJETA Commissioner Gamli Padu visited the Oju Welfare Association’s (OWA) centre here on Friday.
They toured the OWA complex and visited its home for children rescued from child labour, child abuse, etc, the specialized adoption agency, the short-stay home for women in difficult circumstances, the shelter for survivors of domestic violence, child marriage and forced marriage, the Women Helpline 181 centre sponsored by the union women & child development ministry, and the free legal aid clinic.
They also visited the OWA’s handloom training-cum-production centre, the tailoring section, the loin loom weaving centre, the vocational training centre, and the memorial museum to the OWA’s founder chairperson and Padmashree awardee, Binny Yanga.
The governor and his wife interacted with the inmates of the centre.
Mishra described OWA as “a great philanthropic institution which is admirably living up to its motto, ‘Service to humanity’.”
Lauding the association’s efforts, he said it is commendably discharging its responsibilities towards is inmates, including special children, in spite of limitation of resources.
He advised the inmates to imbibe skill and capability to become self-supporting, and to contribute to societal progress. The governor urged the women inmates who endured domestic violence, abandonment and other forms of brutality to “try to shed their past and live in hope and harmony with themselves.”
The governor said he would approach the state and the union governments for providing support to the institute and its inmates.
Earlier, OWA chairperson Ratan Anya briefed the visiting dignitaries on the services provided by the association, and the challenges it faces.
Highlighting the resource scarcity at the centre, she submitted a four-point memorandum to the governor. (Raj Bhavan)
