How Manoj Yadav Educated 1,000+ Underprivileged Children Despite Leaving College Midway
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Humans of kashi / 1 week
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The Degree Was Left Incomplete, But the Determination Never Broke: Manoj Lit the Lamp of Education in the Lives of Thousands of Children Has educated more than one thousand children so far; many children have passed High School and Intermediate examinations Also conducts online classes through YouTube and provides new and old clothes to underprivileged children Varanasi. Whether in a city or a village, you will find many people with degrees. But there is also a person whose own degree remained incomplete. Even so, he illuminated the lives of thousands of children through education. His name is Manoj Yadav. Children lovingly call him “Guruji.” Living in Ugapur, Pandapur of Cholapur, Manoj has become a ray of hope for those children who cannot even afford school fees. It was in 2013 that Manoj took admission in a graduation course at Banaras Hindu University. He loved studying and had a passion for moving ahead in life. But his pockets were empty. The financial difficulties were so severe that he had to leave his studies midway. His dream of earning a degree remained incomplete. Most people would have stopped there, but Manoj decided that what happened to him due to lack of money should not happen to anyone else. He resolved that no child in his neighborhood would have to leave studies midway because of financial hardship. And that is where the story began. The Classroom Began in the Lanes of a Slum Manoj’s journey was not easy. In the beginning, he had neither benches nor a blackboard to teach children. He gathered children who could not attend school and started teaching them. He taught whatever he knew—Hindi, Mathematics, and English. The fee for his classes was zero. Manoj himself was not financially stable. Despite this, he made every possible effort to light the lamp of education in the lives of poor children around him. His wife Anita supported him wholeheartedly throughout this journey. Anita said, “We may eat less, but we will definitely provide education to children.” That support gave Manoj the courage to continue. What started with one or two children is now transforming the lives of thousands. Manoj says that more than 1,000 children have been associated with him so far. Many of them had never even seen the inside of a school. Manoj taught them, guided them, and got them admitted to government schools. Today, many of those children have passed High School. Some have even completed Intermediate education. One child who could never afford a notebook or pencil is now topping Intermediate examinations. For Manoj, that is the greatest degree of all. Along with Education, He Also Demonstrated Humanity Manoj’s work is not limited to the classroom. When he visits slum settlements and sees children in torn clothes, his heart melts. Along with education, he also made arrangements to clothe the children. He encourages people to donate old clothes for children. Along with collecting used clothes from people, he also buys new clothes for children during festivals. Especially during winters, he visits slum areas and arranges warm clothes for children. Classes Also Run on YouTube Manoj’s classes are now conducted on YouTube as well. As times changed, Manoj adapted too. When mobile phones and the internet became common, he created a YouTube channel. Now, even a child from a remote village can watch his lectures. His online classes maintain the same style—simple language and everyday examples. There are no technical terms, making it easy for children to understand. When a child asks a question in the comments section, Manoj responds through a video. Technology has taken his classroom from the lanes of a slum to the entire state of Uttar Pradesh. Educational Tours for Awareness Social worker Manoj’s goal is not only to provide basic education to children. To help High School and Intermediate students studying in slum settlements fulfill their dreams, he also introduces them to the outside world. For educational tours, he often takes children not only around his city but also to other states. He mostly brings children to Banaras Hindu University by bus. There, he encourages them to pursue higher education and motivates them to study in institutions like BHU. After these educational tours, children become even more enthusiastic about completing their studies. No Big Support, Just a Big Intention Manoj says that when intentions are pure, every destination becomes easier to reach. He believes that society can change only through education. Every poor and deprived person has a right to education. To ensure that children do not face obstacles in education, he has launched a campaign encouraging people to donate ₹100 every month for education. Financial support received from donors also helps in the education of children. He firmly believes that society will change only through education. “I do not have a degree, but sharing knowledge does not reduce knowledge.” Today, Manoj Yadav may not have a paper degree, but he possesses the degree of blessings from thousands of children. People in Cholapur call him “Guruji.” A child who could never even imagine going to school now looks at Manoj and says, “I will study too.” His degree remained incomplete, but his determination never broke. That same determination has rebuilt hundreds of broken dreams. Perhaps this is true education—that a person who could not complete his own studies helps others to study.