School Driver In Morning, Teacher In The Evening: Narayan Sir Becomes Guiding Light For Poor Children In Odisha's Kendrapara

Kendrapara: Narayan Prasad Singh's dream of becoming a professional school teacher may not have come true, but his undying passion for teaching children has certainly borne fruit. Offering free education to the poor and underprivileged, he is more than happy, far beyond what his original dream could have helped him achieve.

A resident of Ansarpur under Ashureshwar Panchayat of Odisha's Kendrapara district, Narayan works as a driver at a private school during the morning, when he keeps himself busy picking and dropping school children at their respective destinations. His evenings are dedicated to teaching Mathematics and English, to the children who cannot afford private tuition.

In his mind, he always wanted to become a teacher but financial constraints posed a major hindrance owing to which he could not pursue professional courses or the training required. Post his graduation, as he could not register for the training, he eventually joined as a driver in the school and continued for years until one day a parent's words drew him to the poor students in Ansarpur and neighbouring villages.

"While driving the school van, I noticed some children were struggling due to lack of tuition. One day, a child's father narrated his struggles and seemed disheartened that he could not afford the tuition fees even when his son was so eager to learn. That moment I decided I would offer free education to these children," Narayan said.

"I had passed my matriculation in 1987, and completed graduation in 1992. At that time, I wanted to pursue B.Ed in Kendrapara, but due to our financial condition, my father refused, just like the other child's father did. So I stopped pursuing higher studies and took up driving as profession. I drive in the morning and teach for two hours in the evening," he stated.

As days passed, Narayan Singh became Narayan Sir, and his free coaching centre became immensely popular in the area with as many as 40 children coming to him daily for classes. "I teach students from Class 6-8. I started with around 10 children and eventually more children joined. Many of them attend government schools but did not have a clear understanding of the basic concepts. Lack of foundational knowledge in English and Maths is what concerns me. And my focus is to improve that and fill the gap," he said.

Despite any financial backing, Narayan has been running the coaching centre free of cost for the last six years. But for how long, is what bothers him as lack of infrastructure remains a major hurdle.

Talking about the challenges, Narayan said, "We have no proper facilities, but the children continue to come every day. They want to learn, and that is what pushes me to keep going. My son is studying in Plus-2 Science after having passed the secondary examination with good marks. He is a good student and God will help me in some way or the other as far as his career is concerned."

To continue with what he has been doing, Narayan has requested local administrative officials to extend support to his cause. "I just hope one day I will have all the resources in the coaching centre so that I could offer a better environment to the students," he said.

Without a second thought, his students said they are gaining a lot at the tuition than at their school. And icing on the cake is it's free.

Harapriya Kandi, a high school student, said, "We are able to grasp well here in tuition and it is completely free. (Narayan) Sir teaches us without asking any money."

Another student Rudraprasad Barik also praised Narayan Sir for his selfless efforts. "I am studying in Class 6th. I could not afford tuition, but Sir has made it possible for me to learn."

Earning a meagre Rs 9000 per month from driving and still managing to run the coaching centre free of cost, Narayan has earned immense respect in his village. "Teaching is my passion. I may not have the resources I need now, but I believe that with hard work and support, this will continue. Hope someday my students will come back to help me in this initiative," Narayan said.

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