They sell scrap to impart education to needy

Archit Watts

Tribune News Service

Muktsar, November 28

At their age when most of others dream to get a good job or go abroad, this group of three youths have opened a free education centre - “Raddi to Education” (Scrap to Education) - for needy schoolchildren here.

Sarabjit Singh (29), double MA and BEd; Harinder Singh (26), an MTech; and Kulwinder Singh (29), a graduate in Arts, are all residents of Muktsar town. They have rented a room at Kirat Nagar, where they are currently teaching about 40 children from Classes VII to XII. Besides, they have hired a tutor for mathematics and English.

They first went door-to-door to collect scrap and then what they got after selling it they spent it on imparting free education to these children of slum areas in two morning and evening batches. Now, it’s been nearly a month since they started this noble cause. Some of their NRI friends have helped them too.

Harinder Singh says, “We are three friends working with an aim to provide free education to children and hone their skills, so that they can study further and become self-reliant. It was Sarabjit’s idea to start this study centre. We have even printed notebooks and distributed among needy children. At present, we are teaching English, mathematics, science and social studies to the students from 6 am to 8 am and 2.30 to 6 pm daily.”

“We have hired a shop at Rs 1,800 per month. Besides, we pay Rs 3,000 per month to Khushdeep Arora, a teacher hired by us. We have spent Rs 25,000 from our total collection of Rs 35,000 from the scrap collected and financial assistance from our friends settled abroad. Our Facebook page too has supported us in our attempt. Now, people call us to give old newspapers,” adds Harinder.

Sarabjit, who could not clear the constable recruitment test of the district police, says, “We have got one more room as some more youths like us have shown willingness to join us and teach the needy students. We also appeal to the educated youths, who are sitting idle, to join hands with us.”

These youths have a dream to open more branches of their centre. “Some people ask as us how it became a reality. We tell them our method and appeal them to open such a centre in their area as well,” they added.

These youths are not from affluent families. Harinder’s father is a normal businessman. Sarabjit’s father is no more and his brother is a constable in the police. Kulwinder is a contractual employee in the Horticulture Department.