Who Is Malati Murmu? Tribal Woman From West Bengal Turning Her Mud House Into Free School For Children; Check Her Inspirational Story

Malati Murmu, a tribal woman from Jilingsereng village in West Bengal, has turned her mud house into a free school, offering education to 45 children who once dropped out due to poverty and inaccessibility. Despite having studied only till class 12, her determination during the COVID-19 pandemic helped bridge the education gap in her remote community.

Sakshi Gupta Updated: Tuesday, November 11, 2025, 03:49 PM IST
Who Is Malati Murmu | X

Who Is Malati Murmu | X

Inspirational story: Malati Murmu is a sign of optimism in the middle of Jilingsereng, a rural tribal community in West Bengal. She turned her little mud cottage into a free school for village kids, giving them a chance to dream beyond their current situation, even though she didn't have any professional skills or resources. Her hard work shows that one woman's will can change the future of a whole community.

This school for Santhali and Bengali speakers only has one teacher, and she runs it all from her house. The community is shut off from surrounding towns since there are no roads or public transportation, so people have to walk a long way. Malati moved there in 2019 after getting married. She soon learned that many kids were quitting school, not because they didn't want to go, but because they didn't have time to go to school every day. They had to get firewood, help with duties around the house, and trek for miles to get to the nearest government school in Baghmundi, where teachers were often not there.

Malati was determined to alter this, so she started teaching kids for free in 2020. As per the local reports, the children didn't keep going to school. The reasons were poverty and not having any direction. With the help of her husband, she started classes with only the most basic materials and a lot of determination.

Malati was not professionally trained; she only went to school until Class 12, but her dedication never wavered. During the COVID-19 shutdown, when schools were closed and online learning was not available, locals helped her build a classroom out of mud walls for the kids.

Her Maltibala School now teaches about 45 students English, math, and science. This helps keep the dreams and learning alive for kids in this remote part of Bengal.

Published on: Tuesday, November 11, 2025, 03:49 PM IST

RECENT STORIES