Geeta Kumari made sure never to compromise with the dignity of any girl student. That is the major reason why no dropout is there, as, during those days in which a girl suffers, she can carry her hygiene and dignity with courage and proper care because of “IJJAT GHAR”.

There is a woman who is like an angel from the folklore, who worked super hard so she can motivate her students with her zeal and enthusiasm, but she also fought the social stigma against women’s education.

The prestigious National Teacher Awardee(2020) Mrs Geeta Kumari from Barmer, Rajasthan.

Teacher of S.K. S Saruoponi. She is the” Hero” of many lives out there.

She broke the rusted handcuffs that held many women and students for years, which deny them from getting educated. Her story is like the gold that has to pass through the flames to get glorified.

On one day she got a call from head department (Bikaner). She got news that they selected six people for the prestigious NAT, but she is the one who made it and won.But the news was not all happiness on that day in the morning, because of the flood in Rajasthan fifteen students of her school lost their lives. She was shattered and heartbroken by the news.

But at that moment she realized the fact that she must do something and then put even more hard work into the dreams of her students. And at that evening she got the call for NAT.The reactions were mixed she decided that now she will make sure that her students never suffer.

While she went to give the interview, her husband accompanied her in all her endeavors but when they visited Jaipur for the interview, they saw a lot of candidates speaking in English and more advance people but still she didn’t give up on hopes because she practiced and worked a lot harder. She proudly mentioned that getting the NAT is like catching a flying arrow. Her success is that we all know now. But her childhood her dreams her aspirations were also very different. At first, they educated her till class eight.

Life filled with struggle and courage

After completing her class eight she got married and after that she completed class twelfth that also because she has the fire in her to do something. If stones and rocks blocked her path, she made sure that success stairs out of that. She used to carry water on her head; she used to work in farms as well, and side by side she continued her studies.

After class twelfth she did STC, and in that her uniform was white saree. Her family denied her to wear white saree or to even wash it and let it dry outside. She used to go too far away villages to wash it and dry it.

She got the idea of starting her own school when she got married there, she used to carry water on her head there was a school nearby. She dreamt of building her own one day. The journey of her school started with a single tree.

Yes!

A single tree and under that tree she used to make the students study. Then she requested for 3 acres of land in Rajasthan. And one day she got selected in Shiksha Karmi Board.

We gradually build the building, said the government, but they have to take care of the land. She talked to her dad about it. And then her father made sure that she gets the land. They have farmland in which Kharif crops used to grow, and she used that field. She cleared the field and deciding to build will over there.

She remembered of the shortcomings of the resources and faced and made sure her students won’t face the same. By “Sarv Shiksha Abhiyan” Geeta built the boundary of the school. Then she told them to arrange the electricity and lights and water supply. She faced a lot of problems, backlash and they did not have proper money as well, but she boldly said that she always stands for the truth she never bows down to the circumstances. They did this all for her students. She did not even know about the awards.

She only focused on her work like Geeta says, “Do Karma and leave the rest to god “she worked extremely hard and won. After the destruction caused by the flood in Rajasthan. The village shifts, but still she used to teach there.

A Superwoman

While in Army Welfare Camp in Rajasthan, during hard times of the floods she used to teach with the wrappers of different biscuits she used to teach on sands. The flood came and washed everything but not her desire that was burning inside. In these kinds of shortcomings, she made sure not to lose hope.

She always tells the women that stones hit only the trees which have fruits like that social stigma only attacks the strong who have something in them. Her school is polythene free and also the flood mud, she made toys. She believes in practical knowledge.

She feels that monotonous teaching will only cause boring learning and believes that while teaching different things like fruits, some students used to say that no one ever saw some fruits. She not only ordered it for her students but also made sure that they will eat it and taste it.

“A for Apple is old school”

She believes that a for apple is old school! Have you heard about a for “Akhra”?

The students only learn those things which they feel (practically by doing).

She has made “IJJAT GHAR” for women and girls. She firmly said that she made this for the adolescence girls and youth who face problem while growing up. As because of social stigma, still, they cannot talk freely about it.

She made sure never to compromise with the dignity of any girl student. That is the major reason why no dropout is there, as, during those days in which a girl suffers, she can carry her hygiene and dignity with courage and proper care because of “IJJAT GHAR”.

She has vocational classes for students also, is a mentor in that, and never takes a leave, not even on Sundays. She thinks a day of leave will only cause her desires and motives to get weak. And contribution will decline significantly. That is why she works day in and day out.

New Teaching Method. She teaches students with spices and seeds. From ice-creams sticks to wood and sticks. Even with the pencils waste. Then she also arranges registers the notebooks and the pens. Parents of students trust her whole-heartedly and it also gives her strength. She gives self-protection training and planting and sports and vocational education. During Independence Day and Republic in their school and focus on women’s empowerment.

“She is a Motivation for all of us,” She made sure whatever they have in-home and nature helps her student to study. She connects them with nature and firmly says that everything her motivation, her desire, she gets from nature. Nature has taught her with everything the trees, the plants, how they stand the changes of climate but still somehow stand tall.

While the interviewer panel asked the last questions about her motivation, she said that the stigma, the stereotypes, the hardships, she faces made her desires to win and motivated her. She won’t ever bow down to the circumstances. And will merge victorious, no matter what. She stated and emphasized on the very fact that speaking is a skill. Like a human being learns how to walk in nine months. But a human being can take his entire life to speak and communicate correctly.

SarkariSchool.in salutes Geeta Kumari for her commitment for school education.

(With Torsa Naidu)

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