By Vikram Venkateswaran

Radio Netherlands Worldwide

Harekela Hajabba lives in Newpadupu

He's a philanthropist, a fruit seller, an illiterate and he gave his village something priceless - a school. Harekela Hajabba lives in Newpadupu, 25 kilometers from Mangalore city (India). He single handedly changed the future for dozens of the village children.



There's nothing extraordinary about the men of Newpadupu - mostly contract laborers or hawkers who ply their trade in the city. Nothing unusual about the women either - they roll the 'beedis', small cigarettes. But it's the children who set this village apart. Their hands are neither calloused by the lifting of bricks and mortar, nor stained by rolling beedis. They carry nothing heavier than a pen in their hands and the only burden they bear on their shoulders is that of a schoolbag.



The fruit seller philanthropist

The village of Newpadupu is living out the dreams of eminent philanthropist, reticent illiterate and resident fruit hawker Harekela Hajabba.



It was in the busy marketplace of mangalore city, where he began selling oranges as a teenager, that Hajabba's story begins.

"I am illiterate, but in the beginning, I did not even know how to speak Kannada. I could only speak behri, the local language. I could not even understand when someone asked 'how much?' "

And that is when Hajabba decided that the lot of the children of his village should be better than his own. He began saving from his meager profit of 60-70 rupees a day and with two years worth of savings, set up the a school in the local madarsa, with a total strength of about 28 children.



With a bigger dream to realize, he approached the collector who promised to donate land, but then said that building the school would be his responsibility.



"In addition to my savings, I would ask everyone I met to donate money for the school. I asked all the customers I sold oranges to. Mostly they would ignore me or scold me. But a few of them donated", Hajabba said.



After twelve years of saving and campaigning for funds for the school, the 'Dakshina Kannada Zilla Panchayat Higher Primary School' stands proud with a strength of over three hundred children.



Often his work and financial circumstances force him to miss a meal. But each morning, come what may, he never misses school, where he sweeps out and cleans the entire premises. He cleans the bathrooms before leaving for the city and fruit market.

"I cannot read or write, so this is the only way I can help the students to study and do something for the school".

A 'Real Hero'

He was awarded named a 'Real Hero' and awarded five hundred thousand rupees by CNN-IBN, a national news channel. He donated the entire amount to the school, which now boasts of a playground.



But the school of Newpadupu is only yet another beginning to Hajabba. His next step, his new dream for the children of Newpadupu, is to build a college.



"I pray that all of you please help so that these children study well and become big (successful) people", he pleads with folded hands to anyone he encounters. This has become his refrain, his new mantra that he chants constantly and works incessantly towards.

Source: Radio Netherlands