The Softcat News Team
A school building, located in the state of Manipur, North-East India, has recently been named ‘Softcat Block’, by charity Bethesda-Khankho Foundation (BKF). The name commemorates the financial and tangible support given to the charity in 2019. Work on the building started shortly after but had to be pushed back due to Covid restrictions and other factors.
The ground and first floors of ‘Softcat Block’ are now complete, providing more children in the local community with formal education. Further construction to complete the school building is set to take place over the next few years. The school building aligns with BKF’s mission of transforming the lives of those living in poverty, so they in turn can transform the lives of those around them.
Graeme Watt, Softcat’s Non-Executive Chairman shared the following: “Our partnership with the Bethesda Khankho Foundation in India was built on shared values and a genuine desire to make a positive difference in the local community in Manipur. Seeing the school building come to life is incredibly special, not because of the name, but because it represents mutual trust and more opportunities for children to learn and thrive. We’re proud of what we’ve achieved together over the past few years and I’m grateful that Softcat has been part of something that will continue to have an impact well beyond our involvement.”
BKF was supported by Softcat primarily through financial donations from our Charity May Ball in 2019. Later that same year, volunteers from Softcat also travelled to India to support with the early building stages of the school, paint existing facilities, spend time teaching students basic English phrases in a fun and informal way, play sports with them and some even pledged to financially support children through their schooling.
Dr Jangkholam Haokip, founder of BKF said: “We have decided to call this new school building 'Softcat Block' because we want to remember Softcat in our history. Without Softcat we would not have been able to do what we do today within our community. Our hope is that the name Softcat will continue to speak to the students and the community, and they in turn will support others in need.
In this extreme corner of India, where the name Softcat is unknown, the positive impact can still be felt, giving our community hope for their future through education.
I can confidently say that today, whatever impact we are able to make on society is mostly because of Softcat and others, who provided the facilities to educate one of the most disadvantaged tribal communities in India.”
BKF has four main projects: an orphanage, school, healthcare centre and centre for integrated studies and relief. It supports orphans and children experiencing homelessness in the local community, providing them access to a safe home, free education and holistic care. Within the last three years, the number of students receiving a formal education at the school has increased from 200 to 800 thanks to support from Softcat and others, which has allowed more classrooms to be built.
BKF was founded in 2011 by Dr Haokip and his wife Dr Laljem Haokip, inspired by his own lived experience growing up as a semi-orphan with no opportunity to attend school. During his youth, Dr Haokip supported his siblings while pursuing his education independently, and he has since earned his PhD from a British University. He was able to completely transform his life through education.