JnU Correspondent

Rashmona Apon Ghor, a resident of elderly and orphaned child, is located in Sonakatra, Badda, of the capital, which is home to homeless parents and orphaned children. About 40 elderly and orphaned children live in this residence managed by the 'Help the Children Foundation'. Students of the fourth and fifth batches of land management and law departments at Jagannath University spent the whole day with these homeless people on Friday.

Under the supervision of Assistant Professor Rafea Khatun, the students organised various meals for the elderly and children living in this residence. Students said that this type of initiative were taken to gain different experiences along with academic studies.

A student named Showrov Islam said that our teacher one day told us to do something different besides studies, which would increase our thinking. Then all of us decide to go to an old-age home to spend the day with them and provide food for them on our behalf. Then we organised that with the thought that we would get to know the various experiences of these people's lives.

Another student, Antor Hossaid, said, We spent the whole Friday there. I spent time with the elderly and orphaned children. We arranged food for them. All of us basically wanted to spend a day with such helpless people to understand their agony and suffering. I had a chance to come here and talk to a 105-year-old person who lost his only son a few days ago. By being helpless, he took shelter here.

He also said, we had found a freedom fighter there. We heard many stories of the liberation war from him. I also talked to one who was a former government official. He is staying here, leaving his family. But they are quite comfortable here compared to home. They love to stay here with the same elderly person and children as their granchildren.

Rafea Khatun, assistant professor of Land Management and Law department, said, We went there because of the desire to give students a different experience along with academic studies. We should take care that students do not deviate from their sense of humanity and conscience. We hope that these experiences for our students will be useful in their real lives. To be good citizens, we all need to understand the problems of society.