Bengaluru: An orphan, this engineer chooses to become a school teacher
Bengaluru: The travails he faced as a child and student made this engineering graduate give something back to society and help poor children succeed in life and realise their dreams.Meet Shiva Sagar, the winner of the prestigious first annual Adobe Youth Voices Award 2009, who is now a teacher at a primary school in the city. The Adobe award, presented for his documentary, ‘We are by your side’ that dwelt on education, allowed him to visit the Stanford University in Palo Alto, California, USA. He was in the tenth grade then.
Later, after securing a good rank in the CET, he could not afford any of the elite private engineering colleges because of his financial condition. He chose to pursue the course at the Government Engineering College in Ramanagara. At the end of his degree course, he took the crucial decision of not joining the corporate world, like the rest of his classmates, but to dedicate his life to ensure that no underprivileged child, like him, would be deprived of quality education
Sagar is now a primary school teacher at Christel House in the city, teaching mathematics, physics and computer science. He believes that technological intervention can create a level playing field for such children while preparing for various examinations. Sagar lost both his parents in an accident when he was just eight years old. As his family was poor, his uncle admitted him to Christel House.
He told Deccan Chronicle, “Till I joined Christel House, I didn’t know the importance of education. Gradually, I started realising how education can change our lives. I was the first person from my family to go abroad. In SSLC, I secured 85% marks and joined the science stream with the ambition of becoming an engineer. But after II PUC, though my CET ranking was good, I was forced to join a government college as I was not in a position to foot the fee in other colleges. My struggles made me join the teaching profession. Today, I can ensure quality science education for my students.”
He said, “I am an engineer and that has helped me ensure maximum use of technology in imparting education and preparing curriculum to children which is very important. Students who are from disadvantaged groups are not getting access to tuitions etc. Technological intervention is the key to bridge this gap. I want to work in this direction.”
Mr Raju Shahani, MD, Christel House India, said, “Future events are influenced by present actions and decisions. But for impoverished children, education is the only enabler for a dignified future, free of poverty. Unlike previous years, nearly all of our Grade 12 students want to pursue university education for a better life. Christel House needs support to succeed in getting a seat for every child at the table of life. Christel House graduates distinguish themselves through their achievements, confidence, behaviour and by giving back to the society."
