It was 1962, Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan had assumed the office as the second President of India. A group of students and friends approached him with the request to allow them to celebrate his birthday on 5th September. He humbly said, "Instead of celebrating my birthday separately, it would be my proud privilege, if 5th September is observed as Teachers' Day". And since then, in India, 5th September is officially designated to honour and celebrate the significant contributions of teachers.
The role of teachers
Dr Radhakrishnan opined that “teachers should be the best minds in the country.” And rightly so because of the significant contribution in moulding children into righteous individuals. Teachers wear multiple hats as a guide, mentor, and a friend along with imparting academic knowledge and inculcating good values in children. And who better than e1e1 Foundation, an NGO for education can understand the vital role teachers play in transforming lives of poor children.
The journey of a teacher at e1e1 Foundation
e1e1 Foundation places quality, values-based, and holistic education at the centre of all its activities. It also imparts the value of ‘giving back to the society” through its “Pay it Forward” approach. It is heartening to witness how most of the beneficiary students choose to pay it forward by getting involved in the Foundation’s service to nurture rural, underprivileged children. For this the graduates take up various roles to support the operations and the management of this NGO for education. It is also inspiring to see how these beneficiaries consider teaching as one of the most noble ways to “give back to the society”. This is so because they are aware it was the generosity of a donor who chose to sponsor a child for education through e1e1 Foundation and how the teachers moulded them into what they are today.
On the occasion of Teachers’ Day, here’s a testimonial of one of the teachers, Shwetha J.C. of e1e1 Foundation. She says, “I had joined Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning to pursue Bachelor’s Programme in Education. At that point in time, I was blissfully unaware of the underlying reality that I am stepping into a transformational phase of my life. Soon I started teaching at Sriniketanam Campus at Jayapura, Karnataka. As days passed, my inner voice questioned, “Does it end here? Is earning an income my final goal?” It is then I understood the meaning of what Dharmaraja Yudhishthira had said “Learning occurs when studies are put to practice”. Since then, I not only teach, but learn along with my students. I found my purpose of being a teacher. I understood as a teacher, the more I enlighten students, the more my inner self will awaken and evolve. So, now I learn, teach, and enable students to develop holistically.” Presently, Shwetha J.C. is a faculty of the Department of Chemistry at Sri Sathya Sai University for Human Excellence, Nallakadirenahalli Campus.
Quick overview of e1e1 Foundation
This NGO for education believes that education is the single best way to uplift and empower underprivileged communities. It aims to make education available and accessible to rural, underprivileged children so that a sustainable change could be achieved in terms of transforming the society as a whole.
Currently, e1e1 Foundation has 3,000 students under its umbrella of care. Through its three Edu-Care Programmes - Each One Educate One, Each One Embrace One, and Each One Higher Educate One, the Foundation ensures that beneficiaries get the best of education, ample skills development opportunities, and a nurturing environment to grow. So, by choosing to sponsor a child, you can gift a child the following:
• Free of cost, quality and values-based education.
• National and international study tours.
• Co-curricular activities and skills training for holistic development.
• Well-established, safe and secure campuses inclusive of food and accommodation separate for girls and boys.
• Affectionate and engaging caretakers to provide end-to-end complete care.
• Seamless education from higher primary to university level.
Make this 5th September impactful
This Teachers’ Day, express your gratitude to all those teachers who moulded you and enabled you to be what you are today. And the best way to do so would be to support education of underprivileged children. Go ahead, sponsor a child today, and be the reason for their smiles and brighter futures!
Author Profile:
e1e1 Foundation is an Indian NGO that provides quality and values-based education to rural, underprivileged children. It implements three Edu-care Programmes namely, Each One Educate One, Each One Embrace Once, and Each One Higher Educate One. Currently, the Foundation has 3,000 beneficiaries in 27 campuses across 20 districts in three states. Being a registered NGO, donations of ₹500 and above towards this Foundation qualify for tax exemption under Section 80G of Indian Income Tax Act.
https://eachoneeducateone.org/contribute.php
https://eachoneeducateone.org/who_we_are.php