Education plays a substantial role in one’s life as it creates employment opportunities. In a modern world, where education is a necessity, many other students in India still face hindrance to the finishing their education. According to the Ministry of Human Resource Development, six million students between ages of 6 and 13 do not go to school in India. By 10th grade, nearly half of all the students backed out of school.
D Prakash Rao, who is a tea seller is well aware of all these scenarios because he gave up education midway owing to financial constraints in his childhood. But today, he has turned the pages of many children’s lives by providing education. It’s because of him, children are studying. Even India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently showered his praise on the tea seller for being the ‘backbone’ behind educating over 75 children from the slums of Cuttack.
D Prakash Rao has been selling tea since he was six years old at a small stall in Odisha’s capital city. Ever since the broadcast of ‘Mann ki Baat’ programme, life has changed for D Prakash Rao. “People have started touching my feet now,” says D Prakash Rao. He proved that he is a man of generosity when he has been donating half of his income for the last 17 years towards the running of a school in a slum, as reported by ANI.
Prakash Rao doesn’t want children to quit education just because they don’t have money. “I don’t want these children to lack behind in studies just because they don’t have money. So I divide my time between school, tea shop and visiting patients at a hospital,” he told ANI.
In Prakash’s school, around 70-75 children actively engage in academics.”Around 70-75 students study in my school. Their parents are not really bothered about their studies,” he said.
“I earn Rs. 600 a day during off season and around Rs. 700-800 when the season is on. So, money is not an issue for me. I just want to see these children become something in future,” he added.