IslamOnline.net & News Agencies
MURSHIDABAD, India – Lining up his friends and poor villagers at the backyard of his house, Babar Ali did not expect his play-acting teaching to become a reality.
"In the beginning I was just play-acting, teaching my friends," the 16-year-old told the BBC.
"But then I realized these children will never learn to read and write if they don't have proper lessons."
Growing up in Murshidabad in West Bengal, Ali made a remarkable tale of the desire to help others learn amid abject poverty.
As the clock ticks 6 a.m., he gets up to start his daily journey for the Raj Govinda school, which requires a 10km (six mile) ride and a couple of kilometers walk.
"It's not easy for me to come to school because I live so far away… but the teachers are good and I love learning," he says in his neat blue and white uniform.
"And my parents believe I must get the best education possible that's why I am here."
His parents pay 1,800 rupees a year ($40) for Ali to attend school.
But many other families cannot afford to pay this small amount of money to admit their kids to schools.
Realizing that, Ali is volunteering to share the knowledge he gets in school with his fellow villagers.
"It's my duty to educate them, to help our country build a better future."
Ali launched his pioneering project when he was only 9, making him the world’s known youngest headmaster.
Poverty Challenger
Arriving back from school at 4 p.m., Ali rings the bell to summon his village students to his home backyard.
He lectures them on discipline and starts his lessons.
Along with Ali there are now 10 volunteer teachers at the afternoon school, all of them students at school or college.
The afternoon school now has 800 students, all from poor families, who come after finishing their day's work.
"My father is handicapped and can't work," says Chumki Hajra, 14, who has never been to school.
Ever since she was five, Chumki has been working in domestic service against 200 rupees a month ($5), the amount her family bitterly needs to survive.
"If I don't work, we can't survive as a family…We need the money.”
But thanks to Ali, she is able to get some education with hundreds of poor children in his village.
They pay anything. Even books and food are given free, funded by donations.
The school has been recognized by local authorities after helping to increase literacy rates in the area and Ali was awarded for his outstanding work.
"Our area is economically deprived," notes Ali.
"Without this school many kids wouldn't get an education, they'd never even be literate."
http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/S...News/NWELayout
No comments:
Post a Comment