Teacher inspires entire village to transform school in Meghalaya

In the remote village of Raibah, nestled in the misty foothills of Mawsynram, known as the wettest place on Earth, an eerie silence used to surround a dilapidated school building a few years ago, but now the joyful whoops of children echo through the dewy air there.

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The transformation was made possible by the efforts of anewly appointed teacher who not only performed physical labour, but also inspired the villagers, as well as others, to take part in making the school, which turned 75 this year, beautiful again.

With no funds or materials, the children and their teacher, Batskhem Thabah, improvised. Bamboo tubes replaced plastic pencil cases, areca palm leaves became lunch plates, and outdoor activities became classroom tools. Science lessons merged with gardening and language was taught through storytelling and songs

When Batskhem Thabah was posted to the Raibah Government Lower Primary School in 2021, he found a piace long abandoned by learning.

Its walls were cracked, windows damaged, the roof was leaking under monsoon downpours, and classrooms overtaken by shrubs after nearly two years of Covid-19-induced closure.

The school had no permanent staff and a handful of children turned up sporadically.