Mangaluru: Harekala Hajabba, which has been chosen for the Shri Padma 2020 award, will receive prestigious honor in New Delhi on November 8.
Hajabba, the orange seller who saved the money to build a school in his village, was declared as the recipient of the highest civil award in India on January 25, 2020.
Hajabba received a letter that suggested that the certificate signed by the President would be given to him in March, but the ceremony was delayed because pandemic.
“I have been related to the Office of Dakshina Kannada MP Nalin Kumar Kateel to make the settings needed for my trip to New Delhi for the ceremony.
The government will take care of all my expenses.
I will depart on November 7.
I will preserve this prestigious honor to be transferred to me on My house along with other awards, keepsakes and certificates that I received from more than 500 organizations, “he said.
Hajabba, 65, illiterate vendor, known as ‘Akshara Santa’ (Saint Mail), managed to build a school to educate children in his village in New Padpu, Harekala, which is located about 35 km from the city of Mangaluru.
It was very painful that he could not learn because his village did not have a school, he took it as a challenge and his journey towards building a school at Harekala began in 1995.
He did not leave the stone missed to get land for school and for approval from the Ministry of Education.
His dream turned into reality when Dakshina Kannada Zilla Panchayat gave school sanctions in 1999.
Initially, Dakshina Kannada Zilla Panchayat Primary School Popular as ‘Hajabba Avara Shale’ (Hajabba School) functions in a mosque.
Then, Hajabba built classrooms for schools at 40 cents soil approved by the district administration.