Tara Akshar Graduate is elected Sarpanch (leader) of her village

Mrs Jaina Bai Uike, 35 years old, lives in the village of Gunwant Nagar, in Athner, Betul, Madhya Pradesh. She is married with two sons and three daughters. Her husband Mishri Lal works as a labourer. They are living below the poverty line.
Jaina was an illiterate, and in August 2007, she eagerly signed up for the Tara Akshar literacy course. Her husband was very supportive.
Jaina Bai passed her reading and writing exam on 24 September 2007. Her confidence level had increased tremendously. She was very happy that she was now literate, and she was fully resolved to make her children literate.
After graduation, Jaina got elected as the Sarpanch for her village. She is performing her duties as a Sarpanch very effectively and efficiently. She is very thankful to Tara Akshar for the difference it made in her life.


Below is a news story on her becoming the Sarpanch.




Here is a copy of the thank-you letter that SHE wrote to the Tara Akshar staff informing us that she had become the Sarpanch. (Remember, she had been completely illiterate a few weeks earlier.)

Graduation Ceremony organised by Nidan, Muzaffarpur, Bihar.

Tara Akshar in Madhya Pradesh

Tara Akshar featured in Rediff.com

Article: 'A school that opens minds'

Video: '30 days back she was illiterate and now she was reading a poem she had written' - Interview with Victor Lyons

Video: 'A peek into the class'

Letters of thanks from newly-literate graduates in Sitapur, Uttar Pradesh

From Ms Afsana in Pakarya Village



From Ms Kiran Devi in Maleli Village



From in Ms Sunita in Pakaraya Village

Graduation Ceremony at Islampur, Nalanda, Bihar

Graduation ceremony in Muzaffarpur, Bihar

Ms Sagini Dulaiya arrives at class on piggy back

Ms Sagini Dulaiya has both her legs affected by polio and has not been able to walk since the age of 3. She and her labourer husband have 3 sons. All her family are illiterate and live below the poverty line.
Sagini wanted to attend the Tara Akshar literacy program in her village, but couldn't walk there. So they moved the centre near her home. This enabled her to come to the centre on piggyback on another student. She learnt to read and write and passed her exam in October 2007. This has made her husband very happy - he now wants to make sure that all their children are literate.

TARAakshar Staff and Organisation:
(a) Master Trainer : Sh Indal Prasad
(b) Quality Controller : Sh Brajesh Kumar Rajpoot
(c) Instructor : Ms Mumtaz
(d) CSO : Sh Basudev
(e) Organization : Bundelkhand Sewa Santhan Madawara, Lalitpur, Uttar Pradesh

Graduation Ceremony organised by Pratapgarh Gramuthan Samiti, Pratapgarh, Uttar Pradesh

Smt Munni Devi of Mohan Nagar, Muzaffarpur, Bihar

Smt Munni Devi finds difficulty in walking and doing housework because of her polio. Because of this, people in her home used to taunt her that she was good-for-nothing. People used to say that she will not get a good match in marriage because she is an illiterate as well as a polio victim. But Munni Devi is a brave lady and listened to everyone's taunts with a smile.

One day she found out about Tara Akshar starting in her village. She was very keen to study. She came to the centre with her friend, Rupa Devi, and requested the Instructor that they both be taught. She was fast in learning and always arrived at the centre before everyone else. She passed her exam in June of this year. Now she is able to study on her own at home.

Shortly after this, she got married to an educated handicapped person, and she is now enjoying a happy married life.


Master Trainer : Sh Santosh Sharma.
Quality Controller : Sh Sanjay Kumar Singh
Instructor : Ms Alka Pandey
CSO : Sh Satinder Prasad
Organization : Nav Jagriti, Bihar

Smt Meera Devi of Kasba, Maker, Saran, Bihar

Meera Devi was affected by polio when she was a child and cannot walk properly. She has 2 daughters and 1 son. Her husband Munnu Chaudhary works as a laborer. They live below the poverty line. Meera sends her children to a local institute where free education is provided for the children.

One day she heard about Tara Akshar which had started in her village, and that it teaches reading and writing in just 30 days. She was keen to attend, but she was scared to show how keen, fearing that people would laugh at her because she was an illiterate adult trying to read. So instead she went to her friend's house, where she made an effort to study on her own.

One day, the Tara Akshar Instructor happened to pass by the house and saw Meera Devi engrossed in study, and trying to learn from her friend who herself was not very expert. He told Meera Devi that as she was so keen on studying, he was inviting her to join the Tara Akshar centre. Initially she refused, but later agreed - subject to the permission from her husband. She came to the centre the next day and started to study. She learnt well and passed the exam in June this year. Now she studies at her own home with her children.



Master Trainer : Sh Santosh Sharma.
Quality Controller : Sh Sanjay Kumar Singh
Instructor : Ms Alka Pandey
CSO : Sh Satinder Prasad
Organization : Nav Jagriti, Bihar

Press concerning the Narmada Narmada in Hariharganj, Palamu, Jharkhand

Press for Graduation Ceremony organised by SRUB in Ghoradongri, Betul, Madhya Pradesh

Press for Graduation Ceremony at Jalandhar Center, Madawara, Lalitpur, Uttar Pradesh

Press for Graduation Ceremony organised by BDVS in Saharsa District of Bihar

Proud Tara Akshar Graduates with their Graduation Certificates at Ranighar Center, Dhumka, Jharkhand

Graduation Ceremony at Islampur, Nalanda District, Bihar

Graduation Ceremony at Darulata Centre, Lalitpur District, Uttar Pradesh

Community Mobilization in Hariharganj, Palamu, Jharkhand

To make Tara Akshar a success, we have found it very important to mobilize the whole community, including the student's family, so everyone can support and encourage our students. This way we ensure daily attendance. Here is a photo of community mobilization in progress at Hariharganj, in Palamu, Jharkhand.

Ms Komal Kumari

This is an article about Ms Komal Kumari. She is a disabled student who studied the Tara Akshar course and became literate. She comes from Katoria Block, Banka District, in the Indian state of Bihar. Her success has fired up the rest of her community, and now most of the women in her Block also want to do the course so they too can become literate.