The real influencer! Orange vendor uses savings to open school in his village; gets Padma Shri for noble deed

Harekala Hajabba, an orange seller from Karnataka, was conferred the Padma Shri award on Monday, for spending his savings to build a school in his village.

Key Highlights

• An orange vendor from Karnataka was awarded with the Padma Shri on Monday

• The award was conferred on the vendor as he used his savings to build a school in his village

Bengaluru: An orange seller from Karnataka's Mangaluru, who used his savings to build a school in his village, was conferred the 'Padma Shri' award on Monday. Identified as Harekala Hajabba, the selfless fruit seller spent all his savings to open a school in his village and has also been contributing to its growth every year. 

The President of India, Ram Nath Kovind, conferred the award on Hajabba on Monday in the national capital. President Kovind took to his Twitter account on Monday and wrote, "President Kovind presents Padma Shri to Shri Harekala Hajabba for Social Work. An orange vendor in Mangalore, Karnataka, he saved money from his vendor business to build a school in his village. "

On January 25, 2020, it was announced that the Padma Shri award will be conferred on Hajabba. The function, however, could not be held at the time due to a surge in COVID-19 cases. 

Y Satya Kumar, who is the national secretary of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), tweeted about the award and wrote, "A real hero. Meet Harekala Hajabba Ji. A illiterate fruit vendor who devoted his entire life and earning’s towards educating others. He also built a ‘Primary School’ for underprivileged children in his village. Congratulations to him on being conferred with #PadmaShri. " (sic).

Started journey in 1995 

Hajabba is a 65-year-old man, who is popularly referred to as Akshara Santa. An orange seller in Karnataka, Hajabba could not study in his village as it did not have a school. In an attempt to ensure a bright future for the kids in his village, Hajabba started to build the institution in 1995. 

From getting approval from the education department to getting a sanction from the Dakshina Kannada Zilla panchayat, Hajabba made sure that children in his village had access to education.