Budgam, April 05: To spread knowledge and hope among destitute children, a retired education officer two decades ago set-up a private school where free education is being provided to orphans and poor kids in central Kashmir’s Budgam district.
Syed Abdul Rouf, a resident of the Beerwah tehsil in central Kashmir’s Budgam is providing free education to the orphans and poor children at his private school, Syed Ali Syed Ali Memorial Institute of Education School (SAMIE)..
While talking to the Rising Kashmir, Rouf said that in the year 2000, he started a private school in the name of his father. “I started providing free education to the orphans and poor children at that time. The condition of orphans was getting worse day by day as there was no such school in the Budgam district”.
“My father, Syed Ali Shah, and patron of the Jammu and Kashmir Yateem Trust, Zahoor Ahmad Tak, inspired me to set up the school.I am following the footprints of my father,” he said.
Rouf said that they have reserved 15 percent seats for the orphans who are receiving free education from nursery to 12th grade. The children who are coming from poor families are also receiving a 50 percent fee concession at the school. “This process has been in place since the start of school in the year 2000. Since the last 22 years, more than 300 boys and girls have completed their education from the various Budgam villages.”
He further said, “It is the responsibility and duty of every citizen to provide proper support to the orphans and poor children who couldn’t pursue their basic education due to the financial crisis or poor family background.”