Harekala Hajabba

Harekala Hajabba is a social worker from Mangaluru, Karnataka, who runs a Government Higher Secondary School. Hajabba, an orange-seller by profession, was pushed to think about his own lack of education and abject poverty when he was questioned by a foreigner in 1990. For over 31 years, he saved his meagre earnings and invested it all in a 1.33-acre school for underprivileged children. Hajabba was recently recognised with the Padma Shri award by the Government of India.