This Kerala Teacher Walks 17 km Daily through Thick Forests to Reach Tribal School

Education has faced a major blow as the coronavirus-induced lockdown pushed schools to closure and transport remained off the roads for several weeks since March this year. Even though education became virtual with online classes, it was a luxury that not all could afford- courtesy digital divide.

To make up for the missed classes a Kerala teacher reportedly has been walking for 16 kms and trekking for another kilometre through forest full of wild animals, daily to reach her school for the tribal children.

Mini Korman has been one among the 270 single teachers who run schools in the state.

The 44-year-old teacher undertakes the strenuous journey from Agambadam to Ambumala, a tribal settlement in Malappuram district, reports The News Minute.

Mini says it's never a big deal for her to walk such long distances as she has grown up walking long stretches from her village to school and college.

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The teacher narrates her journey meanwhile, when she often encounters tiger cubs, python, wild boars etc on her way to school.

Often, Mini has to stay back in her school's village, Ambumala, during the flood reason when the river passing through the forest overflows making it impossible to walk amid the dense bushes.

Rest of the times, she has to take a rickety bamboo bridge across the river after the previous one was destroyed twice during the 2018 and 2019 floods.

Earlier, there would be a bus till a certain point, but the inconsistent schedule of the transport has forced her to walk the path.

Mini has been a flag bearer for the rights of the Scheduled Tribes, facilitating and extending the benefits of of tribal development schemes in this region.

She took the contract-based project of being a single teacher in 2015.

In another similar incident, an old man in Odisha emerged out as an example of a passionate teacher, for his unconditional love towards imparting education.

This elderly man, Nanda Prasty not only teaches children but also adults in the state's Jajpur district. He hails from Bartanda village and has been continuing teaching for the past 75 years without any aid from the government, neither he expects any.

The village sarpanch has requested him to avail government assistance to create an infrastructure from where he can continue teaching with comfort but the request has constantly been denied. He prefers to sit under an old tree and continue his job.

He has never charged a fee for his service from any student.