A life without a father figure is very difficult to imagine. But, for Munna, his mother plays the role of his father as well. He lost his father at a very young age and since then, his mother has taken care of his every little desire. He tries to share his mother’s burden in household chores but his mother doesn’t allow him to do anything other than study. He is a 14-year old boy studying in Mehboobnagar’s M.P Prathamika Patashala in Telangana.

Munna is a very down-to-earth boy who tries his best to be there for everyone. He is a go-to person and is the reason why all his friends confide their stories in him. One of his friend Raja, says that there is no other person like him in class. He may not be the best in academics, but he is definitely liked by each and every one. 

It all started one day just before the lunch break when Raja became a victim of bullying which slowly turned into a fist-fight. Munna was the reason why this did not reach the higher authorities and they were saved from getting rusticated from school. He solved this situation amicably and they all sat down to eat mid-day meals together as new friends. His eyes shine when he talks about his school meals and thanks Akshaya Patra for making him and his mother so happy.

If it wasn’t for his mother’s decision to admit him to school, neither would he have been able to become a favourite amongst his peers or be a healthy son to his mother. When his neighbours told his mother that a nearby school had started serving free unlimited meals to all the school children, his mother who was otherwise not able to feed him healthy meals daily, admitted him to the same school the very next day. He walks 6 kms to school and back every day and never misses classes but his mother was extremely happy on knowing that Munna will receive mid-day meals on all the days that he would attend school. 

He says, “My mother becomes very happy when I tell her how good the food was and seeing her happy is everything for me”.

Munna knows about the struggles his mother went through and the dreams that she had to give up after his father’s death. She was on the verge of starting a new career as a teacher, when their life flipped over. Till she gave up on her dreams Munna never was really sure on which career path he wants to choose. But, if you ask him now, he is very clear in his ambition and says, “I want to return back the sacrifices my mother once made. I was the reason she didn’t follow her dream and I will take up the responsibility of living up her dream.  I will become a teacher like she dreamt. But, I want to be a Telugu teacher.” He feels that the morals and education he will be able to disseminate among his people with his language cannot be achieved by any other language.