This, in a nutshell, is the story of Mamoon Akhtar who started a tuition centre in a 300-sft room with six students in 2001. Today, more than 3,000 students study in Samaritan Mission School (High).
Mamoon Akhtar was forced to drop out of school in class eight as his parents couldn’t afford an English education. He continued his studies as a private candidate but only till class 12. His father died and their financial situation worsened. In 2001, he ran into a distraught child whose mother was being forced to sell drugs by a local thug. With the help of the local police, Akhtar was able to help the family. The boy asked for another help. “I want to learn,” he said and landed at Akhtar’s house along with other kids. This is how Akhtar’s journey began.
Akhtar faced difficulties since he was teaching the children in his own tiny one-room home. One day, he noticed a report in a newspaper about Lee Alison Sibley, the wife of the then American consulate, and her philanthropy. He wrote to her seeking a donation which was initially rejected. Later, however, she visited Akhtar and was so moved that she donated ` 10,000 and got a story published about his efforts in a national daily which changed his life.
The article was noticed by a prominent philanthropist from Mumbai and Akhtar’s dream of a school for underprivileged children finally became a reality. Another impactful moment of his journey was when, while building a boundary to a plot that was donated to Akhtar’s organisation, Samaritan Help Mission (SHM), by TATA Group, the owner of the neighbouring plot enquired about their work and impressed, he donated his plot which was to be used to build a mosque. This land was then used to build Samaritan Mission High School (SMS High).
The school has been shortlisted among the “Top 10 Inspirational Schools of the World” for “World’s Best School Prizes” in the “Overcoming Adversity” category by T4 Education, a UK-based research organization.
The aim was to provide English education to the underprivileged children of Tikiapara slums. Akhtar started with only six students and today, it has morphed into a government-affiliated higher secondary English medium school with a student pool of 3,009. In future, SHM will replicate the model of SMS (High) in the slums of Bankra in the Howrah district. To uplift the health scenario of the slums of Tikiapara, SHM will establish a low-cost and multispeciality hospital at Tikiapara with general OPD, surgery, radiology, and pathology facilities.
Main Akela Hi Chala Tha Jaanib-e-Manzil Magar, Log Saath Aate Gaye Aur Karvaan Badhta Gaya
Majrooh Sultanpuri
I started towards my destination all alone but, folks kept joining in and the caravan kept on increasing.
