Beyond text books, this Malappuram teacher imparts lessons on earning a livelihood
Vengara: A goat, a cow, a few chickens or a flock of ducks may seem like unlikely classroom lessons. But for Raju Varghese, headmaster of MHM LP School, Kuttoor North, they are a way of teaching his students the value of self-reliance and the dignity of earning a livelihood. Seeing many of his
Vengara: A goat, a cow, a few chickens or a flock of ducks may seem like unlikely classroom lessons. But for Raju Varghese, headmaster of MHM LP School, Kuttoor North, they are a way of teaching his students the value of self-reliance and the dignity of earning a livelihood. Seeing many of his
Vengara: A goat, a cow, a few chickens or a flock of ducks may seem like unlikely classroom lessons. But for Raju Varghese, headmaster of MHM LP School, Kuttoor North, they are a way of teaching his students the value of self-reliance and the dignity of earning a livelihood. Seeing many of his
Vengara: A goat, a cow, a few chickens or a flock of ducks may seem unlikely classroom lessons. But for Raju Varghese, headmaster of MHM LP School, Kuttoor North, they are a way of teaching his students the value of self-reliance and the dignity of earning a livelihood. Seeing many of his students grow up amid financial hardships, he has found a unique way to support their families and help them build a more secure future.
Though a native of Muvattupuzha, Raju has made Malappuram his workplace for the past 30 years and has become closely associated with the community. After noticing that a majority of his students came from financially disadvantaged families, he decided to help their households build a source of livelihood by providing them with livestock.
Launched in the aftermath of the Covid pandemic, the initiative involves identifying students in need with the help of class teachers and assessing the interests of their families before deciding on the most suitable form of support. The first phase saw goats being distributed to selected families, followed by an HF cow in the second phase and two-month-old chicks in the third.
The fourth phase, meanwhile, brought an unexpected outcome. When Raju provided a buffalo to the family of one of the students, he never imagined that it would eventually help change the lives of two young girls. The family later sold the buffalo and used the proceeds to meet the wedding expenses of the two daughters.
The fifth phase took the initiative in a slightly different direction, with arrangements made to provide clothes to all eligible children for Eid. Last month, in the sixth phase, two-month-old Kuttanad ducks were distributed among the families.
Raju Mash, as he is fondly called, says the initiative is not merely about helping families earn an income. It is also aimed at bringing children closer to nature and the soil while teaching them the values of compassion and caring for other living beings.
As part of his commitment to supporting needy families and the welfare of his students, Raju sets aside an amount equivalent to one month’s salary every year, besides contributing to the development of the school.