CCPUR: Poverty cannot deter anyone if one has strong determination and work sincerely towards achieving the goal set to be achieved. This is the case with Johnson Lunminsang Khongsai, son of (late) Jamchinlian, who struggled against abject poverty and achieved his aim of getting through the HSLC 2017 examination. Johnson secured 19th position in the recently declared HSLC exam conducted by conducted by Board of Secondary Education, Manipur.
Talking to this correspondent Saturday inside his thatched-roof house at Mongjang village, the calm and quite Johnson said his father died in 2012 and since then his family has been suffering a lot due to abject poverty.
“However, my mother Thienlhing managed to mend family chores by selling vegetables by going house to house”, he said. “After attending up to class V at JM English School at Tollen, I shifted to St Mary’s high school which is now upgraded to a higher secondary school,” Johnson recalled, adding that his mother paid school tuition fees out of the money she earned from selling vegetables and ‘it really feels very hard to make our ends meet’.
“When my mother could not pay my tuition fees, the school authorities first discounted to some 50 percent of my fees and then exempted me from paying tuition fee,” Johnson disclosed. “So far I have been assured help by my school teachers,” he said and gave credit of his success to God and those who loved him and his teachers. Johnson said he feels lucky because his teachers allowed him to stay in the private hostel free of cost which gave the most needed time to study.
About his aim in life, Johnson said he aspires to become an IAS officer to fulfil his late father’s dream. He advised other students to man-age their time well and never leave anything for tomorrow. During interaction with this correspondent, Johnson’s mother Thienlhing said, “Words are not enough to describe the hardships my family has undergone.” Thienlhing disclosed that capital to be invested for selling vegetables are used up sometimes because of pressing needs for educating her five children.
Informations uploaded on the social media reported that Johnson was not in a position to continue his studies due to poverty.
Stating that his father got killed after a beam fell upon the patriarch in 2012 while the mother had to do all things possible to ensure two aquare meals a day and send the children to school, the social media report maintained that Johnson, being the eldest, is responsible to help his mother, grandma and auntie’s family and to educate his sisters. A total of 12 members are under his responsibility.
All his friends have done their admission to class XI though he is still wondering if he could ever continue further studies or not.
A particular upload posed: Do you want this child to continue his studies and pursue his dream? Do you want him to be a great person of his dream one day? Do you want to see him above all men?
If Yes, there is one thing you can do – Donate!
Source: The Peope’s Chronicle
