Uttam Teron, a resident of Pamohi village in Assam’s Kamrup district, had a carefree and aimless life just a few decades ago. He used to spend his days roaming around the village with his friends. Sometimes he used to collect firewood and sell it. But a turning point in his life came when he saw children playing with water and mud during his trekking trip.
“These kids should be in school,” Uttam thought.
“I saw how they were living disconnected from the mainstream, so I asked their parents to send those children to my house. I converted my shed into a classroom and started teaching for free. My mother used to cook for these children,” the 47-year-old said. She remembers.
With just four children, Rs 800 in his pocket and a shed with bamboo walls for a classroom, Uttam founded the non-profit school ‘Parijat Academy’ in 2003. Today, the school is providing education to nearly 400 children with the help of 22 people. trained teachers.
Named after the school parijat Flower – A reference to the innocence and modesty of children, who need to be raised into good human beings.
Backbencher to teacher
The BSc graduate was influenced by many career choices, but becoming a teacher was never her primary choice. Uttam, who was once a backbencher in his class, says, “I tried to learn yoga, and I wanted to excel in dance like Mithun. Da and Govinda. But nothing really worked. Teaching seemed boring to me, but that incident made a teacher out of me.
As the word of free education spread, many parents started sending their children to Uttam schools. Currently, children from 20 villages such as Pamohi, Maghupara, Maina Khurung, Ulubari, Jaluk Paham etc. come to get the facility of free education. Children from remote villages on the Assam-Meghalaya border have now been provided accommodation in a hostel with a capacity of 60 people.
“When I started this school, I thought it would last for 2-3 years and enroll children in government schools. But seeing the faith of parents from the lower income group, I felt responsible and started opening more classrooms instead,” says Uttam.
The school is affiliated to the Assam State Board and provides education to children from nursery to class 10. The school is built on a heritage property with an area of 20,000 square feet and has a library, skill development centers and a computer lab.
To uplift the underprivileged
Besides imparting formal education to the children – Assamese, Hindi, English, Social Science and Mathematics – the institute also teaches various crafts to uplift underprivileged children. For example, they are trained in computer learning, sewing, sports and dance.
“We focus on skill development so that they are trained for livelihood opportunities. We teach agriculture and computer skills to our students. Besides, we have handlooms in our learning center and teach weaving to our students from class 8 onwards. They also learn to make cotton and silk. sarees And shawls using handlooms,” says Uttam.
He adds, “Our female students sew sanitary pads from reusable cloth, helping them generate income from people who don’t have access to pads. We also sensitize boys about menstruation.
Fun activities including drama, survival training camps, hiking trips, and skill development classes make Uttamko Academy a popular choice for children over government schools in the region. “Our children have gone to places like Mohali, Goa, Jhansi and Puducherry for school programs. They find these programs fun and interesting,” says Uttam.
Manju Bongjang of Garbhanga Ulubari village studied in Uttam school from Class 2 to Class 10. Manju, who hails from a poor farmer’s family, lives in the Parijat Academy hostel with her younger brother, who also studies in the same school in class 9. Besides learning Assamese, Geography, Logic and English, she learned sewing and knitting at a skill centre. the school
The education system here is good and the environment is also good. In my spare time, I also make sanitary pads from cloth, which helps me to earn income along with my studies,’ says Manju, who earns around Rs 1,000 a month. After scoring 66 percent in the board exam, the 17-year-old is now admitted to a junior college in Guwahati. She aspires to be a teacher like her guru.
Not an easy road
The academy has become popular with volunteers from India and abroad to help the children in various activities like painting, sports, arts and crafts, and yoga. Uttam receives support from individuals and organizations to run the school.
But the work was not easy.
“I keep emailing organizations and institutions. Out of 100 emails I send, I get responses from two or three. It takes around Rs 400 to spend on a child’s monthly education. I keep looking for financial support as I need to manage the expenses of the school and provide honorarium to the teachers,” says Uttam.
“But there is no turning back now. In the new year, I want to increase the accommodation facilities of the hostel where more underprivileged children from remote villages study here,’ he added.
Teachers collect pencils, old school bags, old books, clothes, blankets, bedding, computers and even green vegetables and rice to run the school.
For her selfless work, Uttam has been recognized with CNN IBN Real Heroes Award 2011, Karmayogi Award from Lions Club, Eastern India Women’s Association Social Service Award 2009, and Rotary Club of Dispur in 2015.
“I don’t have any selfish motive here; I don’t make any profit from this. But this work gives me happiness of millions of dollars. If these minority children get education, they can live a dignified life and secure the future of their next generation,” he concluded.
Contact here to support the education of underprivileged children at Parijat Academy.
(Edited by Pranita Bhat; All photos: Parijat Academy.)