A section of teachers of government-run primary and upper primary schools of Uttar Pradesh have kick-started a unique campaign to help needy next of kin of colleagues who succumbed while in service.
These teachers have formed a group on Telegram App--a cloud-based instant messaging, video-telephony and voice over IP service-- so that at the time of an untimely death of a colleague, they can all donate a small amount that could be handed over the kin of the deceased.
Already 3000 teachers from across the state have become a part of this ‘self-care team’ and they plan to get 1 lakh teachers to join the mission so that even a meagre Rs 50 donated by each at the time of death of a colleague can create a fund worth Rs 50 lakh for his/her family.
“Though we would like all-around 5 lakh teachers employed at 1.59 lakh Basic Shiksha Parishad run schools across the state to join the group and the mission, we have set the target of 1 lakh teachers for now. Already 3000 teachers have joined this campaign from Prayagraj, Pratapgarh, Kaushambi, Chitrakoot, Lucknow, Varanasi and Kanpur among other districts,” shared Vivekanand, a teacher of government primary school, Jorawat in Shankargarh development block of Prayagraj, who kick-started the campaign.
He said that during the unlock he got to know about many colleagues, who died during the lockdown due to the Covid-19 virus or became sick, in the state. “This propelled me to launch this initiative of starting a ‘self-care team’ on Telegram App purely as means to lend a helping hand to the family of the colleagues who lost their lives,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}He said that during the unlock he got to know about many colleagues, who died during the lockdown due to the Covid-19 virus or became sick, in the state. “This propelled me to launch this initiative of starting a ‘self-care team’ on Telegram App purely as means to lend a helping hand to the family of the colleagues who lost their lives,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}Joining the group is also easy. “We send an invitation and a teacher of any government-run primary or upper primary school of UP can join it by simply giving an undertaking through the Google form that he/she would help a colleague in the time of need. They also provide their details including name and contact of their next of kin so that we can contact them in case of the death of a group member. The entire process is online,” he explained.
Recently, a government primary school teacher Shakil Ahmad of Prayagraj lost his life in a road accident. “The group members are directly transferring money in the bank account of the wife of the deceased teacher who has become the first beneficiary of our initiative. Once this process ends, we will know exactly how much money we could raise,” said Vivekanand.