KARIMNAGAR: It began years ago with one struggling student — a boy who is now a software engineer in Hyderabad.
Today, government schoolteacher Md Javed is repeating that quiet act of kindness. Determined that poverty should not crush talent, he has stepped forward to support another promising student, Syed Hanif.
Javed, a Hindi teacher at Government High School in Savaran, has taken responsibility for the education and welfare of Hanif, a Class 9 student from a financially struggling family. The teacher has promised to support him until he completes his SSC.
For the teacher, this is not the first time he has changed a life. Earlier, while working at Government High School Dhangarwadi, he had supported another poor student — a boy who today works as a techie in Hyderabad.
Recognising Hanif’s potential, Javed has been providing everything needed to ensure that his studies continue. He arranged a bicycle for the student to commute to school, pays the rent for his room and has also arranged tuition in mathematics and spoken English, facilities usually available only to private school students.
To encourage better learning habits, the teacher provides Hanif with newspapers, study materials and nutritious food, including fruits. A small library has also been set up in the room where the student stays. Javed’s gesture has inspired others at the school. Fellow teachers recently contributed Rs 10,000 to support the boy’s education.
Hanif’s family had migrated to Karimnagar from Manuguru in search of work. His father earns a livelihood by selling buttermilk on a pushcart. To help the family become financially stable, Javed even purchased a pushcart and handed it over to Hanif’s father.
“I recognised Hanif’s talent, but poverty was holding him back. I wanted to ensure he gets the opportunity to succeed and become a responsible citizen,” Javed tells TNIE. With support from donors, he now spends nearly `1 lakh every year on Hanif’s education and other needs.
Hanif said the support has changed his life. “Earlier, I struggled to focus on studies because of our financial problems. Now I feel confident and can concentrate on my education,” he says.
Javed believes the boy will perform well in the SSC examinations among students from nearly 20 government schools in Karimnagar.