This 55-year-old teacher treks 5 km daily to keep promise of teaching one student
Veteran teacher Jivan Mithari has walked 5 km through dense forest each morning for 13 years to teach a single student at a remote school in Kolhapur, Maharashtra. Despite wildlife threats and the absence of basic amenities, he continues the daily trek to keep education accessible for the hamlet’s children.
- ✓Veteran teacher Jivan Mithari has walked 5 km through dense forest each morning for 13 years to teach a single student at a remote school in Kolhapur, Maharashtra.
- ✓The nearest alternative school lies 5.5 km away, making a daily 11 km journey impractical for children aged six to nine, especially during monsoon season.
- ✓Despite wildlife threats and the absence of basic amenities, he continues the daily trek to keep education accessible for the hamlet’s children.
Jivan Mithari, a 55‑year‑old educator, begins each day with a five‑kilometre trek through thick forest to reach the Zilla Parishad school at Kawaltek Dhangarwada in Gaganbawada taluka, Kolhapur district. The remote hamlet lacks electricity and motorable roads, yet Mithari persists in teaching the lone enrollee, underscoring his personal commitment to rural education.
Mithari started his assignment on 26 July 2013 and has maintained the routine for 13 years, covering a 5 km round‑trip that includes a 2.5 km stretch from the nearest road to the school. The settlement, once home to 70‑100 families, now has only one officially registered pupil, Class‑3 student Swara Bodake, with her younger sister attending informally. The nearest alternative school lies 5.5 km away, making a daily 11 km journey impractical for children aged six to nine, especially during monsoon season. The route is frequented by gaurs and leopards, and Mithari has learned to navigate these encounters safely.
Before transferring to the isolated school, Mithari served as chairman of the Kolhapur District Primary Teachers’ Cooperative Bank, a position that typically leads to well‑connected postings. Defying colleagues’ expectations, he chose the challenging location to ensure that the remaining children receive education. His perseverance highlights the broader issues of teacher shortages, migration‑driven depopulation, and infrastructural gaps in remote Indian villages, while providing a lifeline for the community’s youngest members.
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| Issuing Authority | Indian Express Education |
|---|---|
| Topic Category | EDUCATION |
| Jurisdiction | MH State |
| Publication Date | 13 September 2026 |