Unsung heroes: How this journalist-turned-educator brings '3 Idiots' Rancho to life in Spiti Valley

Allured by actor Aamir Khan's character Rancho from 3 Idiots, a journalist-turned-teacher has embarked on a journey to educate the children of Spiti Valley in Himachal Pradesh.

After working with notable news organisations in Mumbai and Delhi, Portia Putatunda, moved to Spiti Valley in late 2020 and began teaching children under a tree.

Portia first visited Spiti in 2013 and was instantly mesmerised by the slow and peaceful life of the valley. Though she returned to her big-city life in Mumbai after her vacation, the idea of moving to Spiti someday stayed with her.

When she visited Spiti again in 2018, following the loss of her father which had left her feeling directionless, she finally decided to turn her idea from three years ago into a reality, but for a different cause this time.

"I was inspired to make this drastic life change following the loss of my father in September 2016, which left me feeling directionless. Seeking peace, I visited Spiti again and got stranded in the snow, which led me to start teaching local children for a month," said Portia.

Spiti is a high-altitude region of the Himalayas, located in the northeastern part of Himachal Pradesh, featuring snow-capped mountains. The region experiences sub-zero temperatures for most of the year, making access to modern-day connectivity services difficult for its villages.

As she found solace in this work, she decided to leave her comfortable life in the city, along with her friends and family, during the Covid-19 pandemic. When restrictions were lifted, she moved permanently to Spiti to pursue her new calling.

Portia says that her late father always promoted education and would donate books and stationery, which inspired her. Her work is a way of honouring his legacy.

Her dedication led her to start a library and a free learning centre with her earnings. Initially, she opened a free boarding school in Kaza with just three kids. Later, she expanded her efforts to Komic, the world's highest village at 15,500 feet, establishing another boarding school with 10 children.

When asked why she opted for starting boarding schools, Portia said, "There are 231 villages in Spiti, many of which lack internet connectivity and mobile service. There is also heavy snowfall for 5-6 months a year. With such variables, it would have been difficult to visit each village and teach the children myself. So, a boarding school felt like the right way to go about it since all the kids could come together, and I could teach them effectively."

In the first year, Portia's initiative grew from 5 kids to 45. She then established the Planet Spiti boarding school which has this year onwards merged with a local boarding school in the village of Rongtong. Portia now oversees this facility which provides free education to 155 students from families earning less than Rs 40,000 annually. She serves as the principal and teaches English, addressing the school's staffing and resource limitations.

Portia recalls multiple instances of feeling alone and on the brink of quitting due to the challenging geography, terrain, and climate of the remote Indian Himalayas. Financial difficulties also added to her struggles. Despite these obstacles, she persevered, driven by her mission to educate and uplift the children of Spiti.

As for her personal finances, Portia takes up freelance assignments in graphic designing, content writing, and content creation, often working during the night to earn a decent income.

Portia's Instagram handle features a plethora of pictures with sweater-clad kids always giggling and smiling, both inside and outside the classroom; sometimes with cameras in their little hands, sometimes with textbooks and pencils, sometimes dancing, praying, or playing. The holistic approach to children's education that big-city schools have been charging a bounty for, Portia has been imparting it for not a single rupee through her mission.

What started as a simple initiative of teaching kids under a tree has today flourished to grow in both number and impact, with hundreds of children having access to education. Portia's mission is singular: to transform lives through education. She aims to educate as many children as possible, not just through textbooks but also by integrating traditional practices like gardening and preserving food to provide holistic education.