The Tathagat Shikshan Sansthan Welfare Trust (it’s full name) is a non-profit charity organization registered in the state of Bihar, India, since 2001. It has been created with the aim of empowering the impoverished rural communities in the region to attain their basic rights of education, healthcare, and welbeing. Its mission is to provide free education in English, Hindi, Mathematics, Science and Social Study to the children of poor families in the Bakrour and Ganga Bigha village, who are unable to pay for their education.
The Trust is comprised of four trustees: Sanjay Kumar, a farmer and land owner in Bakrour village, is the founder of the school and the Trust. He serves as Chairman of the Trust as well as Principal of the Tathagat School, and is involved in daily operations of the school. Ranjan Kumar and Pawan Kumar, are graduate students in a local university, focusing on rural development, and teach full-time at the Tathagat School. The fourth trustee is Pawan Kumar, who brings his experience and expertise in business and care for the community.
In this picture, surrounded by their students, are (from left to right): Sanjay Kumar, Ranjan Kumar, Pawan Kumar, and Pawan Kumar.
From Orna’s reflective journal during the January-February 2007 visit:
“…these amazing men of the Trust, so warm and dedicated and kind and generous and appreciative, working relentlessly and selflessly, feeding on their shared dreams for the school and the community…”
“…The Board members are highly dedicated to the children and their education, and have far reaching dreams that range from having space that will enable more children to attend, to providing lunch, to adding vocational training, to extending the grades offered to 6th and 7th, to offering educational opportunities farther afield in villages that are not served by any other NGO.”
