Teacher treks 5km daily through forest to teach two students in remote Maharashtra hamlet

A 5km trek through dense forest every day takes Mithari to the school. (Image Credit: TOI)

KOLHAPUR: Zilla parishad teacher Jeevan Mitharitook up the job in Kavaltek Dhangarwada’s school because others were unwilling to, and he did not want the students to drop out. A 5km trek through dense forest every day takes Mithari to the school where he teaches two girl students, both sisters, one an eight-year-old and the other just five and yet to enter school officially. Kavaltek Dhangarwada, a hamlet in Gaganbawada taluka that has three houses and no electricity, is among the wettest places in Kolhapur district. The school on a hillock is inaccessible by motorcycle. The forest has gaurs, wild dogs, leopards and sloth bears. Yet, an undeterred Mithari is there every morning. Mithari, a former chairman of Kolhapur District Teachers’ Bank took up the job voluntarily and has endured hardship for 13 years, travelling from Kale village where he resides to Kavaltek Dhangarwada, a 28km one-way journey. When this reporter accompanied Mithari on Friday, he was packed in a double raincoat to withstand the heavy rainfall. After parking at the entrance to the forest, Mithari walked a nearly 3km steep slope, stepping carefully on the slippery surface, dodging leeches on the forest floor, his helmet firmly strapped on. Mithari said, “I am careful when I climb. Sar salamat toh pagadi pachas (If one is alive, you can live a fruitful life). The trail is always slippery, and if I fall, I won’t hit my head if I wear the helmet.” He often encounters gaurs and wild dogs. “I sing or make noises while walking to alert wild animals and give them time to move away. The forest has leopards, wild boars and venomous snakes as well. I once had to wait for more than an hour after a gaur herd blocked the trail. A camera trap recorded a leopard 200m behind the school,” Mithari said. As the school building loomed closer, Mithari called out loudly so that his students knew he had arrived. Within five minutes, two small girls, Swara Dagdu Bodake and her sister Reshma walked in barefoot. They stood at attention and sang the national anthem. Mithari then called the roll for the lone student and then began eight-year-old Swara’s mathematics lesson. At five, Reshma is in anganwadi (nursery), but Mithari teaches her basic letters and numbers. She will join Std I next year. Mithari teaches Swara maths, history, science and English. “Seeing these two kids learn what students from the city are learning makes me happy. In other places, students compete for a good education, but these kids just want to be in school and not drop out of education.” Swara wants to become a doctor, and her sister was firm on a bus conductor’s career. Both said they don’t fear the animals that are part of their lives in the hamlet. Kavaltek Dhangarwada’s school has never had more than five students since 2001. The hamlet has only three houses and nine residents and depends on farming, cattle rearing and wild berries. Dagdu Bodke, Swara’s father, said his daughters were in school because of Mithari’s dedication. “The other school is 8km away, and my girls are too young to walk so far through the forest. We hope govt does not shut down our school even though it has just two students and is in a remote place. My daughters will have to drop out. We are not educated, but they must study and make a name,” he added. Swara’s mother Sakhubai said the settlement once had 70 families, but most migrated to Kolhapur city to avoid the daily hardships. Mithari, who will retire in two years, said they would all be happy if the leaking roof is repaired. He would like to see his two young students take the scholarship and Olympiad exams like many other ZP students. “If teachers are kept away from non-educational work, I am sure ZP and civic school students will perform much better,” he added.