Unsung Hero
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Uttam Teron
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Abstract:
Uttam Teron is a social worker in Guwahati district of Assam, where he has
started Parijat Academy, a school to
provide free education to children of his village.
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Determination to make an
impact on the society is what separates achievers from non-achievers.
Constraints shall always be there, but few people take the first and most
important step towards contributing to the society.
One such individual is Uttam
Teron, who comes from a humble background, but his desire to see everyone in
his village literate is starting to create a ripple in the remote and tribal
areas of Pamohi: a distant 20 km. village from Guwahati.
Uttam Teron was born in the
Karbi dominated village of Pamohi. His father is a train driver,and mother a
homemaker who never went to school. This did not stop him from pursuing
education and he successfully completed his graduation from a city college. It
is here that the first seeds of societal work were planted in his life through
working in Guwahati Zilla Moina
Parijat ; a local group which worked for the training of children in
leadership, music, physical education etc.
Children in his and
nearby villages never went to schools. The value of education was very little
in this rural area where people were in hands to mouth situation. Parents
wanted their children, especially girls to assist them in daily chores of
collecting firewood. The men worked in the stone quarry and women sold rice
beer. They saw more gains in their children assisting them in their work rather
than attend school. The problem was old and perennial but the solution required
a simple and sustainable solution to it. The plight of the children roaming
dangerously close to the stone quarries when they were not helping their
parents was a painful sight to Uttam. The enlightened educated mind of Uttam
wanted to do something for these children, and this was what he always dreamt
about; teaching.
He had saved eight
hundred rupees by giving tuitions. He just wanted to help the children be
educated and bring more and more children in the stream of education. Thus in
2003, he used the money he saved to construct classrooms with tin and bamboo
and used the rest of the money to buys desks and benches from the village
carpenter. This simple act of grit and determination resulted in the humble
beginning of Parijat Academy in a cowshed with four students in it. Initially
one of the difficulties he faced was to convince the parents to send their
children to school. The people from nearby villages were from various tribal
clans and each had their own dialect and culture. The culture of child marriage
and dowry were also detriment to their progress. Then there were societal
issues and infrastructural issues. Assam with its strike culture, called by
various parties and poor infrastructural facilities did not make it easy to
spread the light of knowledge. Adding to that there were occasional floods.
Uttam Teron was not
an individual to be bogged down by these challenges; instead he started the
school without considering the chances of success or failure. As he rightly maintains,
“if one wants to do something good for the people; one should not expect
results quickly”. He started his work,
and it was his passion and interest for teaching and eradicating illiteracy
which started to show colours. After his tireless efforts towards children
education people started recognising his work. Students enjoyed the learning
atmosphere in his school and they were motivated to do better in education. The
hard work of this inspiring, and persevering person were starting to bear
fruits. His work had motivated the
tribal parents that education was not bad at all, but was necessary in life. As
in the words of Uttam Teron, it was the uneducated tribal mothers who took the
initiative to send their children to his school. The school that started with
four students now has 540 students,from 14 different tribal communities
covering nine tribal villages; each provided with free education from nursery
to tenth standard. Interestingly there are 256 girls attending the school. The school boast of a small hostel also. It
is his visionary idea that has been the path breaker for the children in Pahomi.
He is very happy about the Right to Education Act, 2010 but states “degree
alone doesn`t make a good teacher; a teacher needs to have inspiration and
passion for the profession to motivate children.” His school doesn’t only focus
on education but also character building by ensuring discipline, cleanliness,
and Gandhian ways of life. Importance is also given on physical education,
computer literacy, and music. Children at his school enjoy this mix of
education system. The school is plagued by many problems like regular floods,
extreme poverty, lack of funds and basic medical facilities but it is his
tireless efforts to connect and understand the needs of the people in the
region which has helped him in his endeavour.
The school has been
instrumental in bringing these tribal children to mainstream who else might
have lagged behind other children twenty years hence; or worse would have
joined militant organisations in search of livelihood. Uttam Teron recognises
this need to make the students self dependant, students who do not get jobs
after passing. He has started collaborating with Industrial Training Institutes
to increase the employability of the students. His focus is “Learning for
Earning”. This is a giant leap for a place which suffers from extreme poverty.
He has also started the Parijat Tailoring and Embroidery Centre. Apart from his
primary focus of education, this is directed to all the women to make them self
dependant. Indeed such holistic thinking of people empowerment has to be
appreciated.
Uttam Teron himself
was not computer literate, but he overcame this challenge by educating himself
in computer by going to a city cyber café and learning how to use the internet.
He has since used Skype to connect to people who are interested in contacting
and working for this noble cause. His actions has resonated far and wide and
today volunteers, from Czech Republic, USA, Korea come to Parijat Academy to teach spoken
English, arts, craft etc. The school is mainly dependant on donations from
various sources, and one such initiative from an non-resident Assamesse has
helped in building a library for the school.
Uttam Teron has been successful in mobilising people who are interested
in social work to contribute in his cause. He has overcome the barrier of
distance through the internet and now he interacts with students from Flinders
University, South Australia where twenty post graduate students from various
nationalities are getting to know about his work. He has addressed these
students over Skype to talk about his journey and about the sustainable tribal
practices in day to day life. His networking has helped in creating a platform
where this university has started an organisation, called South Australians
supporting children and women in Assam. His platforms have not only helped him
in getting donations but also a free flow exchange of ideas on how they can
grow and sustain.
The school now has
twelve classrooms, twenty three teachers. The payment of salary requires a
monthly expense of seventy thousand rupees. Funding is one of the biggest
challenges for the academy. It is through the donations of volunteers that he
is been able to carry out the work. His
work has not only helped his students but
the school drop out rate in adjacent schools has also decreased. His
academy has attracted volunteers from foreign countries and across India, who
in turn have benefited by seeing the sincere work done by him. They are now
acting as his missionaries and they try to get funds for the academy.The children
have also benefited from these volunteers by understanding about different
culture and respecting them.
Uttam Teron has
participated in Gandhi peace walks, alongside notable Gandhian Gavin Brown.He
preaches a practice of honesty, sincerity and hard work among his students. He
is the recipient of CNN-IBN Real hero award 2011, but he has kept himself
grounded and understands that he has a long way to go. His parents sent him to
college so that he can get a good job in the city, but Uttam had other plans.
His parents are happy that he has been the arbinger of change in his village
and adjoining villages. According to Uttam he will be doubly happy than any
award if he can produce many more Uttam Terons.
Uttam knows that
the future of his academy is full of uncertainty. He stills faces problems
about funds but he strides on. He has the vision to start his academy fully
fledged in other villages, which now has only up to standard three. He hopes to
get good medical facilities for his students and sports infrastructure. The
road is uphill but Uttam Teron will persevere, as he has been.
Birth of an idea
One who is empathetic towards the
society feels its pain as a fellows-sufferer. Uttam realized the need of the
solution when he witnessed, “The poor tribal children of my village, ones which
were not going to school and were not interested to attend school used to roam
dangerously near by stone quarry aimless. The sight made me think to start a
small school at my home.” It did not take a high degree of effort for him to
see the gap in the society, an inherent quality of an educated mind and
compassionate soul. In fact, his dream aligned with the solution. Uttam, a
young man from Pamohi (20 km from Guwahati), had an ambitious dream for 100%
literacy in his village. For the same he used his expertise he gained after
graduating in 1999 from a city college where he was active member of the
Guwahati Zilla Moina Parijat, a local group working with children’ giving them
training in leadership, music, physical education etc. He happily concludes, “I
was training kids anyway and decided to set up a school at home to take kids
around my village under my wings.”
Time for pre-school
How Uttam defied the basic logic of
preparing first and then taking the challenge remains a highlight of his initiative. Instead, he scaled his preparation while
actively taking up the cause. He exclaims, “Parijat Academy started in 2003
with four students.”
Uttam was born to a train driver father
and a homemaker mother who never went to school; he invested the Rs 800 he had
earned as a private tutor in constructing a room with a tin roof and bamboo
walls. Parijat got its first classes. With the remaining amount, a pair of
desks and benches was procured from a village carpenter. Nothing is more
motivating than an example of immense human grit, courage, and risk absorption.
After eight years of rigorous effort and
unflinching determination, Uttam now proudly proclaims, “Today at our school
there are 508 children studying from Nursery to Class 10 with free education.
Out of the total, 256 are girls” What further complements the celebration: “Now
the tribal people realize that education is important.”
“Only degree is not enough for a teacher
to teach children. He needs to have passion and interest for the profession.
Children need more motivation. Teaching should be skill/job oriented in higher
class towards learning for earning. If this goes properly it may reduce
poverty.” A progressive mind hardly rest on glories; instead, prepares
meticulously for the tasks at hand.
Uttam, vindicated and optimistic, has now
bigger plans for his academy. He believes employability is the next logical
step for education at his academy. He has a plan in place to logically transit
kids from basic education to vocational training. He considers, “I am giving
more attention on vocational skill development with formal education at Parijat
Academy. Without skill, in today’s world, it is tough to sustain. My plan is to
provide Vocational Skill Training for the youth between 18-30 years with 90
days training model and plan for placement. Here youth will also hone their
communication and computer skills. The students will have a minimum education
till Class 8 or class 10 and the program will be focused on Learning for
Earning.”
Uttam believes that it does not matter
how many people join the cause. Instead, the quality and passion is more
important. He says, “Do something for the society. Need not ask what society
will give us. It’s our duty what we can do for our society. Parijat Academy
work is small but trying to do sincerely for the underprivileged with limited
resource. If somebody wants to serve the cause, do from heart.”
Uttam Teron can be contacted
at: Parijat Academy, PO. Garchuk, Guwahati, 781035, Assam.
It was born in a cowshed.
The humble beginning notwithstanding, the school, ‘Parijat Academy’ is today a
ray of hope for the Karbi tribes of Assam as their children are poised for a
better future.
Parijat, which provides
free education and focuses on developing qualities of kindness, and compassion
in the children, was originally started with the aim of eradicating child
labour. “I was saddened to see children of my native village loitering around
or working in fields instead of spending their time in school,” says Teron.
Parents did not have the resources to offer their children good education. When their livelihood depended on selling rice beer, cutting wood, cultivating fields and daily labour, quality education for their children was a distant dream. With only one Government school in the vicinity, where the students could not even read and write Assamese, school dropout was high.
Parents did not have the resources to offer their children good education. When their livelihood depended on selling rice beer, cutting wood, cultivating fields and daily labour, quality education for their children was a distant dream. With only one Government school in the vicinity, where the students could not even read and write Assamese, school dropout was high.
At school, the children study subjects like Assamese,
Hindi, English, Social Studies, Environmental Studies, Maths and Science. Teron
is grateful to his 17 teachers and 3 other staff members who bear with him
through thick and thin and the not-too-prompt payments he makes them.
Funds are scarce. Some welfare organizations provide them with textbooks or they collect used books from schools in cities.
Funds are scarce. Some welfare organizations provide them with textbooks or they collect used books from schools in cities.
A one-time donation of Rs 30000 from the Buddhist Welfare
Organization in Thailand helped in providing school uniforms to the children.
Young volunteers sometime chip in to teach the students.
“Everything was impressive and I could clearly see the hard work of so many who worked day and night for the children,” said Bhaswati Bhattacharya, an Economics graduate from LSR College Delhi, who worked at the school as an intern for a month.
Young volunteers sometime chip in to teach the students.
“Everything was impressive and I could clearly see the hard work of so many who worked day and night for the children,” said Bhaswati Bhattacharya, an Economics graduate from LSR College Delhi, who worked at the school as an intern for a month.
Teron wishes to start vocational training centres for the
kids. “My future plan entails developing a residential school in Pamohi as
villagers from far off places want to educate their kids here,” he said.
Teron’s parents, who had wanted him to have a secure job in
a city, are now content to see him become a harbinger of change in the village.
Teron was one of the recipients of this year’s CNN-IBN Reliance Real Heroes
award. He had also been in the list of India Today’s 35 youth icons of India.
Parijat Academy is a school for
underprivileged children in Pamohi Village near Guwahati,Assam. There are also
currently nine smaller satellite schools of the same name other remote tribal
villages. Established in 2003 bu Uttam Teron,Parijat began with just 4
children in a small room with a pair of desks and benches. Uttam felt the
essential need for education among children of his community,who were mostly
engaged by their parents in labor from a very young age. (Read more about
Uttam’s story here…).
From small beginnings Parijat
Academy has now proudly grown to a school of over 500 students. It is a non
religious and non profitable school providing free education where children are
encouraged to develop the positive qualities of loving kindness,compassion and
universal responsibility.
Parijat (meaning “heavenly
flower”) Academy is a school for children of families with low income,living in
Pamohi and the school covers nine tribal villages namely
Pamohi,Mahguapra,Deosutal,Garchuk,Mainakhorong,Dhalbama,Nowagaon,Garoghuli and
Garbhanga. The Founder,Uttam Teron believes that education is the birth right
of every child and no child –rich or poor –should be left behind.
The school,Parijat Academy,is
located in an area comprising of about ten tribal villages and where access to
schools is very limited. Uttam Teron has been successful in starting a small
scale school to imbibe the value of education among the children. Uttam sees
educating the underprivileged children in the neighborhood as a first step in
helping the community. He also hopes to start a weaving program for women and
some vocational training activities.
Uttam Teron,who graduated in
1999 from a city college,was already an active member of the Guwahati Zilla
Moina Parijat,a local group working with children,giving them training in
leadership,music,physical education etc. “I was training kids anyway and
decided to set up a school at home to take kids,around my village,under my
wings.” In 2003,the Parijat Academy was born. The four-room school had a tin
roof and bamboo walls. Uttam had saved Rs 800 from the fees he received after
giving tuition to a few students outside his village. With this amount he got a
pair of desks and benches made by a village carpenter. The school was ready to
enroll students from nursery to Class III. Today,Parijat Academy has 41 students
between three to seven years of age. Initially,the parents were reluctant to
send their children. They would ask:“What would they gain by attending school?”
Our persistence paid off and now,“We have no seat to enroll more than what we
have,” says Uttam.. If that sounds exclusionary,consider this:only three of the
41 students at his school pay the fixed monthly fee of Rs 80. The parents of
the rest just can not manage to pay. “We are too poor,” says the guardian
Ratneswar Bora.
So,how does Uttam run such a
school and pay his five teachers? He says:“Sometimes,if we are lucky,we get
small donations from individuals. A few organizations have helped us in a small
way.” Once,during a visit to Bodh Gaya,Uttam learnt of a Buddhist organization
in Thailand that renders assistance to underprivileged children. He sent an
e-mail and,within a month,the Supreme Master Ching,who has an office in
Mumbai,sent him a draft of Rs 30,000 towards uniforms for the kids. The
blue-and-white uniform that his students wear are more than a year old now and
have lost their sheen. A welfare group in Guwahati donated textbooks and a
small amount of money with which Uttam purchased three ceiling fans to beat the
summer heat. “I pay my teachers whenever I have money. The rest of the time,they
bear with me. I don’t know how to thank them,” he said.
http://parijatacademy.com/about-us
Excerpts of the interviews as conducted by Debangshu
Bhattacherjee over the internet:
1.
What has been your
inspiration in making a difference to the lives of others? What are the sources
of inspiration? (If you like you
may mention any one or two instances that changed your life and made you start
something new or something different that laid the foundation for your work).
_ The children of my area who are not interested of going to school and
school dropout makes me feel to start a
small school for underprivileged children with joyful learning. The school
started with four children in a small room with a tin roof and a bamboo wall
with my Rs800/-
2.
What are the
challenges that you faced while starting your initiative and what are the
current challenges that you are facing now?
-
When I started the
school. I went to the children houses telling to their parents to send their
children to Parijat Academy. Some of the parents said what to do with
education. They thought instead of sending to school they can help them in
their parents work, children can look after the cattle. Later slowly people in
our area realise that education is important. Now there are 540 children
studying from Nursery to class 10. Providing free education. We have now lack
of classroom. We cannot pay teachers monthly honorarium timely. If we lucky we
get small donation from well wisher. Maintaining teachers with meagre
honorarium is challenge. Our monthly teachers honorarium currently for 23
teachers is Rs70000/-. If somebody interested to sponsor a child we take Rs
300/- per month.
3.
What is your
opinion on getting inspiration and using your talent for doing simple things
that eventually become great and make a difference in the lives of others?
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I think in this world those who had done or doing great work or any work
sincerely/ perseverance has comes from
their inner understanding for others and
sees positively for all and these people not looking back what will happen
success or failure side. Some People who are success and achieved by doing
difference in this world doing from their heart/ passion without expecting any
result quickly. But we get inspire when we sees success person/ when we sees
person making a difference.
4.
What do you
consider as your own strong points that helped you to accomplish whatever you
have been able to? When did you discover them? How? How did you cultivate them?
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In my case. What I
have chosen the path children education for the village tribal children in my
area it took 3-4 years to motivate the village tribal parents. When the
children enjoyed learning at school. This message spread slowly from village to
village and later socially recognise that our work is not bad.
5.
What in your
opinion are some of the qualities that people need to cultivate to make a
difference to others?
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Sincerity,
honesty, loving kindness, compassion, accountability, activeness, skill. These
qualities are need.
-
6.
What in your
opinion prevents successful people from making a contribution to the society?
7.
What future scope
do you have in mind for your work?
-
I personally think
that the future is also uncertainty. Lot of things are half done in my work at
Parijat Academy.
8.
What messages
would you like to give for others to be or to become an effective person?
I am not expert
Reference: The
following resources have been used for the secondary research on Uttam Teron
Downloaded as on:
23/04/2015
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