Karnataka: Yoga teacher helps poor kids compete

HOSAPETE: Ramjanbee P, a physical education (PE) teacher in Hosapete, has for seven years been teaching yoga to labourers' children residing in and around Hampi free of cost.
Ramjanbee's work has enabled children from economically weaker families to participate in competitions. She has also enhanced the learning skills among kids by imparting yoga, painting, folklore dance and other skills.
Her yoga classes have trained about 300 students, from primary school to college.
Ramjanbee, who lives in Prakash Nagar, Hampi, said: "Now students from surrounding villages like Kaddi Rampur, Malpangudi, Kamalapur atHer yoga classes have trained about 300 students, from primary school to college. "We have shifted the classes to a nearby government school ground," she said.
A graduate in physical education, Ramjanbee is the PE teacher at the TMAES DAV School in Hosapete. "I learnt about yoga as a subject, in graduation and realised that it's the best way to enhance mental and physical health. As In 2011, I joined as a PE teacher at Kasturba Residential School. As I taught yoga to girl students, they went up to the state level and it was a matter of pride for the government school. My husband T Fakruddin, a gym trainer, suggested that I give yoga training to poor students. He helped me. We have 30 students vying for the district to national level competitions and getting prizes," she said.
Seeing her enthusiasm, a group of like-minded people formed the Ranju Arts Yoga Trust, Hampi, to encourage poor children to join free yoga classes.
Mohan Joshi, chief priest at Virupaksha temple in Hampi and an honorary president of the trust, said Ramjanbee was a graduate in visual arts too and also taught painting and folklore dances to students. "She conducts a summer camp every year and invites state-level resource persons. It is free for poor children," he said.
Ramjanbee expressed her gratitude to those parents who have sent their kids to her for yoga training. "Vijayanagara district has a bunch of generous people like social worker P Galeppa and Siddharth Singh, who sponsor travel expenses for talented students for yoga competitions," she said.
She dreams of making a yoga village in Hampi and taking her students to Khelo India events.