Uttam Teron , A Man from Assam providing Free education to all his school children since 2003.Uttam Teron, a Karbi youth from the village of Pamohi, 12 Kms away from the sprawling Assamese city of Guwahati, has single-handedly established and managed a school for the under-privileged children of the adjoining Karbi villages, providing free education to all of them since 2003.
Uttam Teron, a Karbi youth from the village of Pamohi, 12 Kms away from the sprawling Assamese city of Guwahati, has single-handedly established and managed a school for the under-privileged children of the adjoining Karbi villages, providing free education to all of them since 2003.
The school, known as Parijat Academy, started off as a humble affair with four students and three teachers, but it has grown over the years with Mr. Teron’s resourcefulness and enterprise, currently educating an impressive 497 students, starting from Nursery to Class IX.
Seven years before the Right to Education Bill was introduced in the Parliament, Uttam Teron, a young man from Pamohi, 20 km from Guwahati, dreamt of 100 per cent literacy for the children of his village. Education was the lowest priority in this Karbi-dominated hamlet and most children, especially girls, helped their parents in the fields. This changed when Teron began the Parijat Academy in a cowshed in 2003 with just four students. Today, the school, with a small hostel, provides free education to 502 students of which 256 are girls. Uttam has shown great courage , determination and dedication to uplift these children from their helpless state and give them hope and happiness through education and a better way of life.
For most of us engrossed in the daily routine of balancing work and life, there is barely any time left to look around and feel the pain and suffering of the not so priviledged, the marginalized and the forgotten lot. Uttam Teron , Pradip Sarma , Father Lukose , Kaushik Das and Lanu Aimol are a few amongst us who have been able to make a difference in the lives of others and touch their lives in more ways than one.
Mahatma Gandhi had said, “You must be the change you want to see in the world.” There are very few people who, rather than crib about the way things are, dare to be the change they want to see in the world. It’s because of them that the world is a better and more meaningful place for all of us; especially for those whose lives have been touched and changed. The Guwahati Run & Walk is a tribute to these extraordinary individuals and I am proud and honored to participate in this unique event.
In His words
" Parijat Academy was established in 2003. The poor tribal children in my village were not attending school. There was lack of awareness about the importance of education, which made me think, and I wanted to do something for these children… to provide proper education in my small home… and this was the beginning of Parijat Academy.
Parijat means heavenly flower in Assamese. Children are innocent and to me, they are like heavenly flowers.Before starting the Academy, I was volunteering for an organisation called All-Assam Moina Parijat. I gained some experience in this field, and I also met a lot of people working in this sector. But the biggest stimulus to join this field of work was the high dropout rates among the tribal children of my village, and the lack of awareness among the parents regarding the importance of education in their children’s lives. This particularly led to my joining the development sector.Parijat Academy is working on children’s education in a particular village area. I have a plan for the establishment of a full handloom-weaving centre for village women as an income generation activity under Parijat Academy’s umbrella.My only opinion is, whatever career you choose, do something good for the less privileged according to your capacity.
The school, known as Parijat Academy, started off as a humble affair with four students and three teachers, but it has grown over the years with Mr. Teron’s resourcefulness and enterprise, currently educating an impressive 497 students, starting from Nursery to Class IX.
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| Uttam Teron with his school children |
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| SCHOOL CHILDREN IN PARIJAT |
Seven years before the Right to Education Bill was introduced in the Parliament, Uttam Teron, a young man from Pamohi, 20 km from Guwahati, dreamt of 100 per cent literacy for the children of his village. Education was the lowest priority in this Karbi-dominated hamlet and most children, especially girls, helped their parents in the fields. This changed when Teron began the Parijat Academy in a cowshed in 2003 with just four students. Today, the school, with a small hostel, provides free education to 502 students of which 256 are girls. Uttam has shown great courage , determination and dedication to uplift these children from their helpless state and give them hope and happiness through education and a better way of life.
For most of us engrossed in the daily routine of balancing work and life, there is barely any time left to look around and feel the pain and suffering of the not so priviledged, the marginalized and the forgotten lot. Uttam Teron , Pradip Sarma , Father Lukose , Kaushik Das and Lanu Aimol are a few amongst us who have been able to make a difference in the lives of others and touch their lives in more ways than one.
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| A Volunteer from Europe Helping the School Children |
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| A Volunteer from Europe Helping the School Children |
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| Volunteers from Europe Helping the School Children |
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| A Volunteer from Europe Helping the School Children |
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| A Volunteer from Europe Helping the School Children |
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| A Volunteer from Europe Helping the School Children |
Mahatma Gandhi had said, “You must be the change you want to see in the world.” There are very few people who, rather than crib about the way things are, dare to be the change they want to see in the world. It’s because of them that the world is a better and more meaningful place for all of us; especially for those whose lives have been touched and changed. The Guwahati Run & Walk is a tribute to these extraordinary individuals and I am proud and honored to participate in this unique event.
In His words
" Parijat Academy was established in 2003. The poor tribal children in my village were not attending school. There was lack of awareness about the importance of education, which made me think, and I wanted to do something for these children… to provide proper education in my small home… and this was the beginning of Parijat Academy.
Parijat means heavenly flower in Assamese. Children are innocent and to me, they are like heavenly flowers.Before starting the Academy, I was volunteering for an organisation called All-Assam Moina Parijat. I gained some experience in this field, and I also met a lot of people working in this sector. But the biggest stimulus to join this field of work was the high dropout rates among the tribal children of my village, and the lack of awareness among the parents regarding the importance of education in their children’s lives. This particularly led to my joining the development sector.Parijat Academy is working on children’s education in a particular village area. I have a plan for the establishment of a full handloom-weaving centre for village women as an income generation activity under Parijat Academy’s umbrella.My only opinion is, whatever career you choose, do something good for the less privileged according to your capacity.
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