A good samaritan

Thamar SM offers free education and counselling to the underprivileged

By Qamar ZJ

An English medium school in Sector 7 is being run by the son of a BBMP sweeper and a vegetable vendor. Thamar SM (44) wears many hats. Besides running a school from LKG to 7th standard with an affordable yearly fee of Rs 12,000 per student (including uniform and shoes), he has sponsored free education for 180 high school students so far (four have also become instructors as well and one has received the Chief Minister’s Gold Medal) and facilitates free online tuitions for weak high school students every Saturday and Sunday.

Thamar also volunteers as a counsellor at the women’s and children’s helpline at the police commissioner’s office on Infantry Road. In addition, he has started a similar helpline in BTM Layout where counselling is given both in person and also on the phone (91084-45555). Thamar’s four-year-old helpline is getting 50-60 calls. “Earlier, we used to get atleast 15-20 walk-ins every day, but due to Covid-19, we have stopped it, and everything is now on phone only.” Besides, he’s involved with free food distribution to the underprivileged for the last two years.

And where does the money come from? From his garment unit in BTM Layout that he has been running since 1997. Thamar is just paying it forward. When he was young, his neighbour sponsored his school education. After school, he would go to a tailoring unit and earn Rs 5 per week, a job he did for ten years. He would also go to people’s homes and clean their cars to keep things going. Today, he’s a suits specialist. His regular clients include colleges, factories and companies. Along the way, he also did his bachelors in marketing and master’s in economics from Bangalore University.

Recalling his early days, Thamar says, “There was a time when I didn’t even have proper shoes to go to Hombe Gowda Boys High School in Wilson Garden. My friends used to enter the classroom and throw their shoes out of the window, so I could wear them and enter the class.”

When he began Thomson Public School in Mangammanapalya in 2006, he only charged an admission fee of Rs 100. When he moved its location to HSR in 2010, he began to charge more, so he could afford better teachers because even the poorest of the poor were taking their kids away from his school because of poor teachers. Those who pass out from his school also get to undergo soft skills training, personality development classes, motivational workshops and even career guidance at Hombe Gowda school. “This is their scholarship programme for meritorious students and for those who failed in 10th standard,” says Thamar.

His future plans is to extend education to high school and improve the quality of teachers, so many more people can benefit.