RANCHI: Post-retirement, people often desire to spend their days lazing around. Not Lobin Sabar, though. This retired school teacher has been busy giving free education to the children of poor tribals in his village, Sohda Sabar, in East Singhbhum district of Jharkhand. Sabar was a teacher at the Scheduled Tribe Residential Girls High School in Chaibasa district and retired in February.
When he returned home, he found the children in his village wasting the entire day roaming around and playing. When he spoke to the parents about sending the children to school, their reply shocked him. “They said, ‘what will the children do in school if they have to become farmers?’ I decided to do something to change their mindset,” he said.
Having gone though a lot of hardships to complete his education and get a job, Sabar knew the importance of education. He somehow succeeded in convincing the parents of two children in his neighbourhood to send them to his house and started giving basic education to them. Gradually others also started sending their children. Now, he has 36 children in his class.
According to Sabar, it gives him immense satisfaction to teach the children. He says he had seen hard days and even had to work as a daily wage labourer to deposit his college fees. “I did not want children of my village to face similar circumstances.”
Sabar gets support from his niece Nilima, who is pursuing her B.Ed. He said initially he had to spend from his savings to provide reading materials, but now people are coming forward in his support. Local public representatives praised his effort. “Lobin Sabar has succeeded in igniting interest towards education among the children and creating awareness among their parents,” said village head, Sukurmani Hembrom.