Emmanuel Kamatham, Emmys Public School, Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand
It’s often said that trusting your instincts can profoundly influence your life. Emmanuel Kamatham’s journey is living proof of this timeless wisdom. He always trusted his inner voice and uncovered an incredible potential and a calling: to uplift society through education.
Family Legacy and Inspiration
Emmanuel comes from a small town in Andhra Pradesh and grew up in a Catholic Christian family. Recounting his upbringing, he shares, “My father wanted me to carry on God’s work. I was motivated to continue the educational legacy established by two prior generations of my family.”
Although he describes himself as an average student, he acknowledges, “My commitment and hard work were always fueled by God’s grace, guiding me towards help others.”
Answering the Inner Calling
After completing his high school education, Emmanuel left his hometown and moved to Calcutta to pursue further studies in Arts and Humanities. Those days, he says, he “felt a strong inner calling to dedicate myself to the cause of education, aiming for the betterment of society.” After earning his degree, he relocated to Lucknow and took up a position in a school. “In 2001,” Emmanuel recalls, “I decided to make Uttarkashi, a quaint village in Uttarakhand, my home to further pursue my mission.”
“If we were meant to stay in one place, we’d have roots instead of feet.”
How the School Started
It was a cultural and environmental shift for Emmanuel. When he moved to North India, he found it challenging to adapt to the weather, food, culture, people, and language. However, he was very dedicated to his goal and took up a teaching role in a local school.
Emmanuel remembers, “During this time, it became evident that the school’s management cared more about financial gains than the well-rounded growth of its students. This difference in values made it increasingly hard for me to continue working there, so I decided to resign from my position.”
Thanks to his esteemed reputation in the community, Emmanuel faced no difficulties in finding a rental home and opening his own school. He warmly recalls the school’s early days, saying, “The Emmy School set out on its educational journey with just three students on July 12, 2003.” Emmanuel’s commitment to providing English education in the village appealed to parents, leading to a steady rise in admissions.
Read More: Empowering a small village in Jodhpur through education
Initial Struggles
Even though the school was running smoothly, Emmanuel faced a challenge when the landlord unexpectedly raised the rent. In search of a long-term solution, he turned to a friend from the village for help. He received a generous offer as his friend allowed Emmanuel to pay in installments. Over the next five years, the school operated from a modest shed on this property.
Emmanuel recalls, “While our student numbers were consistently growing, our facilities were inadequate for the 285 students we had.” He even considered taking out a loan to upgrade the school’s infrastructure, but several banks turned down his loan requests.
Also Read: Dipender Kumar’s Success in Keeping Students in School in Rural UP
Overcoming Pandemic
Emmy Public School, like many other schools in India, faced challenges due to the pandemic. The school saw a departure of over 80 students, considerably impacting enrollment. Yet, Emmanuel found a way to deal with the situation. He explains, “I chose not to charge fees for six months and conducted daily online classes.” His commitment and effort paid off, and slowly, after the lockdown, the school’s enrollment returned to its usual numbers.
Varthana’s Support
At one point, the school started to lose students because it didn’t have good facilities. Improving the infrastructure emerged as the pressing solution. One day, Emmanuel saw an ad on his phone from Varthana offering financial assistance to affordable private schools. He immediately reached out and visited their branch. Varthana processed his loan application swiftly, expediting the documentation process.
Emmanuel shares, “We were able to effectively address the infrastructure issue, thanks to Varthana’s quick support.”
Future Vision
Emmanuel is successful because he cares about helping his students grow socially and face life’s problems. His school is in a hilly area where kids don’t know much about technology. So, Emmanuel wants to start computer lessons to help them get IT jobs in the future.
Concluding his thoughts, he asserts, “I want to give our students opportunities to succeed in a technology-driven world.”
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