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She may be a doctor by profession, but her heart beats for the children living in the far-flung heights of Kishtwar. Meet Dr Daisy Parihar a name that generates hope for the children in some of the remote areas in Kishtwar. Where many see distance, she sees duty. For the children of Kuntwara and other inaccessible hamlets, she is sometimes a doctor organising free medical camps, and at other times, a teacher bringing the world of smart classes to their doorstep. In her latest initiative to bridge the digital divide, Dr Parihar has installed WiFi facilities at two of the schools in Kuntwara, one of the most remote and cut-off areas of Kishtwar district. Along with connectivity, she has also provided smart screens and projectors to transform blackboard classrooms into digital ones.
Going a step further, she has roped in volunteer teachers for Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics and Biology who will engage with the students online and help them complete their syllabus. "Most of these schools do not have required faculty. There is an acute shortage of teachers. As a citizen of this region, I felt it was my duty to give these kids some direction," said Dr Daisy Parihar. But what drives a busy doctor to trek these treacherous heights to help students fulfil their dreams?
Recalling her tenure as District Immunisation Officer in 2018, Dr Parihar said it was during her extensive tours to these far-flung areas that she realised how many of these remote habitations still lack basic health and education facilities. Two days ago when the smart screens lit up and the WiFi signal came alive, many a students there could not beleive their eyes. Afreena, a class IX student at High School Kuntwara could not hold back her tears she simply could not believe that her school too now had internet. The idea, she says, is simple yet powerful to promote digital literacy where it is needed the most. "In an era where education is moving online, children in Kuntwara were being left behind for want of connectivity," said Dr Daisy Parihar. Now, with WiFi, these students can access smart classes, online study material and connect to a world beyond the mountains. From stethoscope to smart class, Dr Daisy Parihar is proving that service knows no boundaries if the intent is to reach the last child in the last row.
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