Farmer Gives His Only Home So 75 Kids Can Keep Learning

When the government school roof collapsed in Piplodi, Rajasthan, killing seven children, nearly 90 tribal families lost their only nearby place for education. Within two days, a farmer who had never attended school himself decided to give up everything so learning wouldn't stop.

Mor Singh, 60, handed over his only home to become a classroom for 50 to 75 village children. The house took him four years of careful savings to build, but he saw a more urgent need the moment the school came down.

He moved his family of eight, including his young grandson, into a plastic jhuggi beside their field with only basic supplies. Meanwhile, children now gather daily in the space where his family once ate meals and slept, sitting together to study and rebuild their routine.

The nearest alternative school sits 2 kilometers away across difficult terrain, making daily attendance nearly impossible for younger students. With reconstruction expected to take over a year, Singh's decision filled a gap that could have become permanent for dozens of children.

Sunny's Take

Singh never learned to read or write, but he understood something deeper: that education changes futures. While other solutions were debated, he simply opened his door and stepped aside, choosing temporary hardship for his family over lasting setbacks for his village's children.

His act caught wider attention, leading the government to award him Rs 2 lakh (about $2,400) and announce Rs 1.8 crore for a new school and village infrastructure. But for Singh, the reward isn't recognition or money.

It's the sound of children's voices filling the rooms he built, studying instead of staying home, learning instead of losing a year they can't get back.

The new school will eventually rise, stronger and safer than before. Until then, 75 children have a place to go each morning because one farmer decided his family could wait, but their education couldn't.