Harekala Hajabba, Orange Vendor Who Built School For Less Privileged, Conferred Padma Shri

Sixty-eight-year-old Harekala Hajabba, a fruit-seller from Mangalore in Karnataka, built a primary school for less privileged children with his meagre earnings of Rs 150 per day. On November 8, he received India's fourth-highest civilian award, the Padma Shri, from President Ram Nath Kovind for his efforts.

Hajabba is known for his extraordinary contribution to society. Despite his own constrained circumstances, he worked towards the cause of education in his native village.

Harekala Hajabba, a fruit-vendor from Karnataka's Mangaluru, who built a school in his village from his earnings, was conferred with the Padma Shri award today pic.twitter.com/t0lOdiOQpd

¡ª ANI (@ANI) November 8, 2021

Hajabba's village Newpadapu did not have a school for many years. All the village children were deprived of any kind of access to education.

In 2000, Hajabba invested all his life savings and started a school on one acre of land.

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Hajabba conceived the idea of the school after feeling ¡°handicapped¡± while speaking to some foreign tourists.

¡°The first time I felt handicapped because of my lack of education was when a foreigner asked me the price of the fruits in English. I didn¡¯t know what he meant,¡± he told the BBC during an interview in 2012.

Harekala Hajabba

Local authorities noticed his efforts and offered him help as well.

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