THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Three teachers in Ponmudi School have found a new purpose with the money they saved after the Priyadarshini free bus service scheme provided them with free travel.
Utilising the money they saved on the bus fares, they are now providing evening snacks to students.
The teachers of Government UP School in Ponmudi, Jayasree Devan, Nimisha P and Shalu Paulose travel from Vithura to Ponmudi every day. Hailing from different districts, these teachers are staying in rented houses in Vithura and nearby areas.
Since the launch of the Keralam government's Priyadarshini free bus service scheme, they have been able to save around Rs 3,000-Rs 4,000 every month. That's when they decided to pool their savings to support the school's evening snack programme.
"We used to spend Rs 66 on our daily commute from Vithura to Ponmudi. Once the Priya-darshini scheme was launched and the KSRTC bus service on this route was included in the scheme, we discussed using the amount for the evening snack project. For the past four months, we have been providing evening snacks using the money we saved," said Jayasree, adding that the children are served sweet potatoes, ada, kozhukatta and other healthy snacks.
The school has as many as 30 students, many of them children of plantation workers living near Ponmudi. Since their parents return home late in the evening after work, the school authorities launched the evening snack project back in December 2024. The school spends Rs 600 to Rs 700 on the project daily.
"These children have limited options for nutritious and healthy food. It was in such a scenario that we launched the evening snack programme. The programme costs Rs 12,000 a month. However, most of the time we are unable to raise the required amount. Though Rs 3,000 or Rs 4,000 is a small amount compared to the requirement, it is indeed a huge support for us," said school headmaster Shibu C Das.
"Earlier, we used to try finding sponsors for the scheme. But now, along with our savings, other teachers too contribute to the project. So now, we don't have to depend on sponsors much," said Jayasree.
The school also has a breakfast project implemented with the support of the Peringam-mala panchayat, while the mid-day meals are provided with funds from the state government.
"Most of the estate workers at the Ponmudi hilltop are women. They travel from the valley to the hilltop on KSRTC buses on a daily basis. For them, saving Rs 40 or Rs 50 is a huge help," Jayasree said.
"When the Priya-darshini scheme was launched, people believed the project would help only women. However, the amount saved is being used not just for women, but for everyone, including families and school students," Jayasree added.
