Life at 21 was simple for happy-go-lucky Uttam Teron. He would shoot the breeze with friends at a local paan-shop when he wasn바카라t wandering around the lanes of Pamohi village in Assam바카라s Kamrup district. When he fell short of cash, he would chop some wood and sell it.
His life took a turn on a sunny day in 2001, when he saw children in his tribal village looking for firewood instead of going to school. 바카라Deep in my heart I decided to pick them up, gather them all and teach them the basics of education, but I was helpless,바카라 Teron tells Outlook.
Today, around 700 underprivileged kids study in his Parijat Academy, which he started in 2003 in an old cowshed. 바카라The challenge was to gather students바카라 Most parents in the hills had no idea what school education means. At first they were reluctant to send their children to me,바카라 he says.
Nevertheless, Teron got to work, collecting pencils, old books and school bags from nearby villages and housed the academy바카라s first four students in his own house. 바카라My mother would cook food and feed them. We used to eat together,바카라 he says. When the number of students reached 32, Teron borrowed Rs 50,000 from his parents to build two classrooms at his home.
As the number of students swelled, Teron바카라s life changed further. There was no scope for paan-shop banter anymore, because his students had started referring to him as 바카라Sir바카라 with a sense of reverence. He also had to tirelessly canvas for old stationery and sundry items to keep the school running. A small news item in a local newspaper in 2005, soliciting aid for the Parijat Academy, opened the donation floodgates.
Today, the Parijat Academy has about 700 children from 15 tribal villages and 25 teachers. The school follows normal timings, with classes from nursery up to Class X, and has two hostel buildings. Over and avove the regular curricula, the school also offers courses on computer learning, sewing, sports, dance, etc. In 2011, Uttam Teron was awarded the CNN-IBN Real Heroes award for his contribution towards children바카라s education.
바카라Many foreign students visit my school during their vacation and teach the children. I have got visitors from Germany, US, Netherlands, France, Bolivia, too,바카라 he says. At the core of Teron바카라s education philosophy is employability. In Assam, unemployment is a major concern.
Parijat Academy also offers training in crafting toys and decorative pieces, which students sell to visitors. 바카라Many foreign visitors buy them for the cause. I want my kids to stand on their own feet after completing formal education. Without skill in today바카라s world, it is tough to sustain (oneself),바카라 says Teron.
(This appeared in the print edition as "A School in Time")
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