Odisha Educator Saroj Kumar Behera Leads Sikhya Sathi to Support Underprivileged Students
Meet Saroj Kumar Behera, a retired headmaster from Jagatsinghpur who built Sikhya Sathi with 25 members to support poor and orphaned children. Read the article for more information.
Saroj Kumar Behera, 63, retired as a headmaster in October 2023, but retirement did not end his connection with education. You can retire as a headmaster from a school, but you cannot retire the school out of him. The former headmaster of BB High School. Kujang lives in Boriki village in Kujang block of Jagatsinghpur. After retirement, he began teaching children from underprivileged families on his own. What started as an individual effort gradually grew into Sikhya Sathi, a community initiative now supported by 25 like minded people. The group includes doctors, engineers, retired teachers, lecturers and businessmen, all working together towards one common goal giving underprivileged children a fair chance at education. Scroll to get more details.
How Sikhya Sathi Helps Poor and Orphaned Children
Sikhya Sathi has picked four child care institutions for this work. They are Sri Lokanath Sikshya Ashram at Paradipgarh Sishu Ashram and Ashra School in Jagatsinghpur and Pallishree Mahila Samiti in Kendrapara district. Members met 10 children in each institution to learn about their needs, family background and academic ability. They asked questions on English Literature, Mathematics and General Knowledge. Three poor and orphaned students were then chosen from every institution. Twelve children from Class II to Class IV are getting support this year. Each child received study materials, a school dress and a tutor. Every tutor gets Rs 3000 per month for two hours of teaching six days a week. Tuition runs all year while study kits and dress materials are given once a year. Educational expenses are covered too until the child finishes Plus II.
A Self Funded Mission That Looks Beyond the Classroom
Sikhya Sathi is fully self funded. Members give Rs 300 or Rs 500 or Rs 1000 every month as per their capacity. The group collects about Rs 20000 a month which adds up to Rs 2.4 lakh a year. Nearly Rs 2 lakh of this is set aside for education. Children at Sri Lokanath Sikshya Ashram already feel the change. Barasa Biswas is eight and studies in Class III. M Baisakhi is in Class IV and Rudra Pratap Maiti is in Class II. Anjaneya Acharya the Superintendent of Sishu Ashram Jagatsinghpur praised the effort. He said the support will help these children continue their studies. Behera, a 2017 State awardee teacher, says every child deserves a chance to study. He had earlier helped hundreds of poor students from his own pocket. The group also supports cancer patients and people with critical illnesses. It helps families in natural calamities, builds roads and serves food at old age homes. Behera wants Sikhya Sathi to stay a sustained community movement rather than a one time charity.
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