'Prokritir Paathshala'- A school nestled in nature
The school has no days off and no fixed hours. From dawn till dusk, classes and extracurricular activities continue. The primary goal of establishing this school in Laxmipur village, Netrokona was to strengthen the harmony among the Muslim, Garo and Hajong communities living in the village
Jeshuda Kubir, a young girl from an ethnic minority community in Netrokona, begins her day with household chores.
She lives with her parents in a small, impoverished household, a tiny hut they call home. Her father works all day at a brick kiln to support the family. Her mother has been ill for a long time.
The daughter of a Nepalese father and a Garo mother, Jeshuda works starting at the break of dawn. She cooks, cleans, washes dishes and also looks after her sick mother.
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By the time Jeshuda finishes all the tasks, it's 8 am. Then, she hurries off to school.
She can attend school no more than three days a week and for only three hours each day.
As soon as she comes back home, she resumes her family duties: caring for her mother, preparing dinner etc.
By the time she is done, evening sets in.
Confronting such a harsh life at a young age, Jeshuda has developed a different mindset from her peers. At a rather young age, she has developed a profound understanding of life.
She says, "I actually expect nothing from people. I believe we come from nature, so only nature can understand the language of our hearts. Thus, our lives are guided by the gifts of nature."
She sits quietly in a corner of the classroom, absorbing her lessons before returning home.
She also has her ideas about friendship, believing, "True friendship is working selflessly, and expecting nothing in return."
Jeshuda goes to a unique local school called 'Prokritir Paathshala'(Nature's Classroom) where 65 students from Hajong, Garo and Muslim communities, all of various ages, receive their education.
Nearly all the students have different chores to take care of back home before joining school every day.
Nestled amidst lush, green forests, the school is located in Laxmipur village, near the Baromari Bazar in Durgapur Upazila (sub-district) of Netrokona district.
Just a few yards in front of the institution, the small river 'Pagla Jhirri' flows down from Meghalaya. To the right, a quarter-mile stretch of green forest ends at the picturesque hills of Meghalaya along the Indian border.
Behind the school, there are flat lands with green fields and crops, dotted with occasional houses. In front of the school, near the river, stand the hills.
Around 100 families live in this area, and it is from these families that students, from nursery to higher secondary levels, come to study at this institution.
Prokritir Paathshala has no days off and no fixed hours for learning. From dawn till dusk, the educational activities continue. Much like nature itself, this school stands quietly in its way.
It consists of a small tin-roofed house with two rooms, fenced with bamboo. There is no furniture and the students sit on mats. In addition to general education (subjects such as math, language, science, etc), there is a special focus on dance, music and painting.
Every Friday, a cultural event is held where the students showcase what they have learned throughout the week.
Srija Kubir, a fifth-grade student at Prokritir Paathshala, has phenomenal skills when it comes to painting. Three of her paintings were sold at an exhibition in Dhaka for Tk 45,000. This young artist generously donated the entire amount to her school's development.
Eighth-grader Parbati Hajong is a popular dancer at the school. Her performances have been praised at various cultural events.
Moni Mala from the seventh grade has already shown great talent as a singer. Meghla Hajong, a sixth-grader, has also mastered the art of painting with precision.
Prokritir Paathshala is full of such young talents. Though the students receive a modern education, the school is entirely supported by the local community and various types of aid from people across the country.
The sole teacher and director of the institution is Nazmul Tuhin, who lives in a small hut right next to the school. He was born and raised in Anandanagar village, Kasadia, on the banks of the Atharo Baki River in Rupsha Upazila (sub-district), Khulna.
His journey to running this school is an intriguing story. Over a decade ago, he enrolled in the journalism department at Stamford University in Dhaka to pursue higher education.
However, Nazmul always longed for a life close to nature. In 2012, he went to an ashram in Durgapur along with a classmate whose father was living there.
The ashram touched Nazmul so deeply that he left behind the allures of Dhaka behind. In December 2014, he embraced a recluse life, taking charge of the education department at Nayan Yogi's ashram in Durgapur.
After six years of caring for 112 orphans at the ashram, Nayan Yogi passed away, and Nazmul felt the need for a change.
Prakritir Paathshala was jointly established by Nazmul Tuhin and Sultana Razia, with financial backing from the Lightshore Network.
Initially, he taught under the open sky, but gradually, with various forms of help and support, the school's infrastructure began to take shape.
One of the students from this school is now pursuing higher education. Jyoti Chambugong, an ethnic minority student who studied English and general knowledge with Nazmul for a year, is currently in her second year in the Folklore Department at Rajshahi University.
Nazmul, sitting on a bamboo platform over the river in front of the school, spoke to TBS, "I have chosen the life of Lalon Fakir. That is why I live this way. This is the life I wanted, to be close to nature and engage in some regular work."
The primary goal of establishing this school was to strengthen the bonds of harmony among the Muslim, Garo, and Hajong communities living here.
Additionally, the ethnic minority people faced language barriers that hindered their education, and Nazmul aimed to improve that.
"I try to impart the moral knowledge necessary to become humane and true human beings," he said. "The students here are incredibly talented. If we give them time, they can grow into competent individuals. That is what I think."
