VILLUPURAM: At Balaji Garden, a remote residential area in the fifth ward of Marakanam town panchayat, 30 kids trek to the Anganwadi for a day's meal. The rural childcare centre is a haven for them, including twelve kids belonging to the Narikurava community, some of who call the pavements of the Marakanam to Tindivanam Road their home.
At the Anganwadi, what they get in abundance is life's lessons from the teacher, the 54-year-old S Sumathi from M Pudupakkam. The daughter of a farmer, Sumathi knows that sowing the seeds of education at an early age can reap the sweetest fruits in future.
Ever since she set foot in 2017, the Anganwadi has stood witness to what a person with grit and perseverance can do. Sumathi is not just another nursery teacher, she is the winner of the Best Worker Award from the Tamil Nadu government in 2002. Just in the past year, she spent Rs 1 lakh for the Anganwadi’s development. Just a month ago, a proper road was laid.
When everyone saw a three-cent wasteland in the school premises that was left unattended, unsafe, thorn-ridden and reptile-infested, Sumathi saw possibilities. Growing vegetables to feed kids, setting up outdoor classrooms, attracting more children… It threw up an opportunity to make the kids’ lives better. But getting the patch of land cleared from the town panchayat wasn’t easy. “Local officials were against the idea. Even some locals opposed the plan,” Sumathi rued.
Water woes also made it to her pile of problems as the Anganwadi had only a 500-litre tank for all their needs like cooking, washing vessels and toilets.
Rather than pointing an accusing finger or complaining about greener pastures on the other side, she stepped in. She weeded out the wild bushes, set up a mesh fencing with a grille gate. She ploughed the land and sowed vegetables and herbs. Her helper Hemavathi stood by her. Hemavathi, who joined in 2019, was her woman Friday. Sumathi taught her everything, from Anganwadi duties to farming.
The Anganwadi that once relied on its neighbours’ generosity to use their kitchen is now giving away veggies for free to the children. After she prepares a farm-fresh meal for kids, she gives away the remaining vegetables.
Her garden produces a variety of vegetables such as ladies finger, tomato, snake gourd, bottle gourd, bitter gourd, turkey, broad beans and ginger. She also grows pulses like cowpea, groundnut and herbs like tulsi, Mexican mint, and aloevera, along with grapes.
When the recent rains ravaged her mini-farm, she was unfazed. She is now bringing it back to life. She did not want to wait for the government to open their coffers to fund the Anganwadi. With a Rs 15,000 salary per month, Sumathi saved up and spent over Rs 1 lakh in the past year to turn the dusty walls of the school colourful, to dig a septic tank for the toilets among many other deeds.
Parents are a happy lot. After her efforts bore fruits, the parents appreciated her hard work. Some have even extended a helping hand to arrange funds for a new water pipeline. “We first thought that she was using government funds. Only later, we came to know it was her savings. The land, because of which many hesitated to go to Anganwadi once, now is an enjoyable farming experience for the kids and also a classroom sometimes. All because of Sumathi,” said C Narmatha, a parent and a resident of the Ward.
She knew actions reach the kids' minds faster than words. To provide a feast for the eyes and minds of the children, she painted the dusty school walls. She got new plastic chairs, a second-hand television set and a DVD player to teach her kids rhymes and lessons better. Sumathi aspires for the children to have an eco-conscious and successful future. She remains their inspiration, feet firm on the ground and head held high.