Former journalist honors free boarding school in India’s highest village in memory of his father

Trigger warning: This story mentions depression and anxiety.

Portia Putatunda’s fondest memory of her late father is playing with the children and singing nursery rhymes.

“He loved children very much. I always saw how he used to connect with them. During the game, he used to recite poems and rhymes to teach them. He used to go to rural areas and distribute books to children free of cost. This memory is deeply embedded and always inspires me,” she says Better India.

Taking forward her father’s efforts, today Portia runs a free boarding school under Planet Spiti Foundation in Komik, Himachal Pradesh, the highest village in India. A teacher, a caregiver, and in many ways, a mother to these underprivileged children, Portia takes care of their education, provides food, and aids in their overall development.

‘Trying to be close to father’

Born and brought up in Ranchi, Jharkhand, Portia completed her graduation in journalism from Kolkata and interned at The Times of India.

“I always wanted to do journalism. After working with TOI, I worked with many other organizations. I was a new producer at CNN Network before I decided to leave journalism,” the 32-year-old said.

Always fond of traveling, she first went to Spiti Valley in 2013. “I found peace and fell in love with the place. I loved traveling and visiting such places, but at that time I had no idea that I would have to stay in the Valley,” she says.

In 2018, the valley called him again and he visited the place again. She shares, “When I first visited the place, I was a happy, ecstatic and highly motivated person, but this time, I was a lost and sad soul.”

Having lost her father, Portia is sinking into depression when she makes her second and final trip to Spiti.

“When I lost my father, I lost myself. My parents got separated when I was only eight years old and he became my support. Losing him, I lost both my mother and my father,” she says. “I went into depression and nothing was feeling right. I kept focusing on the fact that he was gone and not feeling any connection to him.

It was the search for this lost connection with his father that led him to Spiti. “I thought, if I lived up in the mountains, I would be closer to heaven and therefore to my father,” she says.

Portia stayed with a local family in Kaza for a month and began teaching their children. “I wanted to spend more time in the mountains and this family took me with them. In return I would teach their children and it was a wonderful experience. One thing I noticed was that education, especially for underprivileged children, was in a very bad shape and I wanted to do something about it,” she says.

In 2020, she left her job and career and moved to Spiti. “It took a lot of courage for me to leave my life in Mumbai and move to Spiti forever. Everyone called me an idiot for doing this, but I had to do it. It was one step closer to my father and also to find my purpose in life,” she shares.

from kaza to comic

Unsure of how to make the first move, Portia went out to approach children playing in the streets and parks.

“To be honest, I didn’t know what I was doing. I just talked to the children playing on the streets and told them that I will give them crayons and sheets and teach them art. This surprised them. Initially, only a few came. I used to sit under a tree in Kaza and teach these children to speak English, sing poems and draw,” she says.

Word spread about crayons and watercolors among young children, and they appeared in large numbers. “There was a time when around 40 children used to come to learn. It gave me the motivation I needed to take it seriously,” she says.

Portia visited remote villages in the region and realized how children in those areas lacked access to education. “There was no way those kids would walk so many hours to reach Kaza to study with me. Besides, the parents did not understand the need for education. They were very reluctant to send their children to school,” she says.

Since Kaza was a tourist center, Portia was unable to find an affordable place to set up a small school and library. “I also wanted to set up a hostel and a kitchen for children who do not have a home to go to. I was running out of money and needed an affordable place,” she says.

That’s when he came to know about a place in Komik that was available on rent at a very cheap rate. “Renting space for the comic seemed like the right thing to do. This way I will be able to reach out to children living in remote areas,” she says.

In 2022, she moved to Komik and rented space to start a free boarding school under her Foundation – Planet Spiti Foundation.

following in his father’s footsteps

“When I think about it, my biggest inspiration is my father. All this work and my foundation is a tribute to him. I’m just continuing what he started,” she says.

Going to the comic was the first step towards her dream, but little did Portia know the problems that would follow. “The biggest issue before me was convincing the parents to let their children go to school. they would say “What will he do after studying, he will earn money even by selling Momo” (What will my child do after studying? They can also earn by selling dumplings),” she says.

She adds, “I would talk to him for hours and ask him to send me to school. At first many people did not calm down but gradually they gave up. Besides, if I take a child and give them food, shelter and education, it lightens their burden.

They started their boarding school with three kids and the number has grown to 10 at present.

Describing herself as the “mother” of those children, she says, “These children are not orphans and have been abandoned by poverty, not by choice. About 50 percent of these children have no parents alive, but the rest are There are parents who can’t nurture them. That’s where I come in,” she says.

‘Kids keep me going’

Every morning Portia wakes up to the sound of children outside her window.

“They used to call me Portia Madam and used to laugh at my window. I believe this is the best way to wake up every morning. After waking up, the first thing I do is light the tandoor to heat the classrooms,” she says.

“We use firewood or cow dung for the tandoor and I sometimes cook over that. I make breakfast and the kids get ready,” she says.

The children start their day with a short assembly and then go to their classes. “I teach them everything from math and science to English and art. I also organize various activities throughout the week like gardening, dancing etc. to keep the learning going,” she adds.

The age of the children is between three and 10 years. The classes go on till five in the evening.

“A girl, who is older than the other kids, takes a class in my school. She used to be very shy. But today, he helps me take care of the kids,” she says.

Talking about the hurdles that she faces regularly, Portia says, “The main issue that I have been facing since quite some time is funding. I built this place out of my savings and there have been months when I was unsure how I would buy vegetables and food for us. However, there is always something to do and we always have enough money left over,” she says.

“My concern has always been – what next? i’ve always felt that way ‘Took responsibility beyond reason’ (Have I taken some responsibility which I am not capable of fulfilling?) I am capable of taking the primary education of these children.’ But I am looking at possible schools that can admit them when they need secondary education,” she says.

“Self-doubt keeps bothering me, but what keeps me going is the smiles on all these little faces. These children are very untouchable and pure. I believe that I am just a medium and it was the fate of these children that brought me here,” she adds.

Mihir Golani, a traveler who recently visited Portia’s school, says, “It is a wonderful initiative that they have started. I am stunned to see how much work she has put in here and the kids seem so happy to be around her. I stayed there for a few hours, she does everything for these kids. From feeding and teaching them to playing with them.

On her journey so far in recovering from her father’s death, Portia says, “I’ve had my darkest moments in life. There was a time in my life when I thought I would never be able to connect with my father again. Now, all I wish for is good stuff to share when ‘I see her again’. Even if it means making a difference in the life of just one child, it will be enough.”

If you want to help Portia, you can contact her on 93680 68121. (Since Komik is a remote village with low network connectivity, sending messages through WhatsApp would be the best option.)

Edited by Pranitha Bhatt