Kohima: Baptist School in Panso opened its new library on August 12. Named Atsumoalojen Athang, or A Place to Awaken, it serves 130 students from seven surrounding villages. The list includes Pathso, Pathso Nokeng, Ekhao, Yokao, Tsangkue, and Kingnyu. The opening ceremony ditched traditional scissors for an eco-friendly plant-leaf ribbon.
Three generations performed the ribbon cutting. School founder Khongo Shiu, a student, and guest speaker T Penam opened the doors together. Wekoweu Tsuha spearheaded the project. A grant from the global group Drop Dead Generous funded the work. The school, founded in 1993, now offers a safe harbor from local poverty and social unrest. It took only two months to stock the shelves.
Donations poured in from Bengaluru, Gujarat, and Nagaland. The collection holds over 460 books and educational games for early readers. Options range from science and ecology to biographies and fiction. Curator Tsuha designed the space to bridge the gap between global knowledge and indigenous Naga culture. She said the library was intended to "spark curiosity, broaden horizons" for every child who enters.
Guest speaker T Penam noted this is the first dedicated school library in the region. He expects it to sharpen creative thinking and assist teachers. Pathso Nokeng council member Sunie called the library a planted seed. He urged the community to help it grow. Headmistress Shongping thanked the contributors for making this dream a reality.
Pujei chaired the inauguration. Mutiam and Jesha led the prayers. Class V student Shongmou and teacher Laam performed a paired reading session to mark the occasion. The event ended with a tour for students in Grades 2 through 8. Families and faculty pledged to maintain the space. This facility in Noklak district now stands as a primary resource for local education.
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