From Missed Opportunity to a Movement: How Harapalli Ravindra Built Hope for Kodagu’s Children

Bengaluru: Harapalli Ravindra’s childhood in a tiny village Harapalli in Somwarpet taluk, Kodagu, was marked by a quiet regret the absence of an English-medium school. While children in urban areas had access to modern education, Ravindra was deprived of the same privilege. Yet his determination never faltered. He taught himself English, completed his PUC and degree in the English medium through a private college, and went on to build a successful career as a professional and later as an entrepreneur in Bengaluru.

Amidst his success, one dream lingered: to ensure that no child from his native region would suffer the disadvantages he once faced. “If I struggled due to the lack of English education, I didn’t want future generations to face the same fate,” Ravindra says. This thought became his mission.

In 2016, with the active support of his villagers, Ravindra founded Harapalli’s first-ever English-medium school. What began modestly with just eight children in Class 1 has now grown into a vibrant institution with more than 200 students and 15 committed teachers. To overcome the absence of public transport, Ravindra has arranged five school vehicles to ferry children from remote hamlets.

Ravindra has personally invested lakhs of rupees into this initiative, though he avoids dwelling on the details. “I don’t want publicity; I only want results,” he insists. His generosity, however, goes beyond infrastructure. Every year, he spends ₹8–10 lakh to provide free uniforms, textbooks, and waive tuition fees for children from Below Poverty Line (BPL) families across Somwarpet taluk.

His efforts are not confined to shantalli alone. In Bengaluru , Ravindra has established a hostel for underprivileged children from Kodagu, providing accommodation and guidance for over 100 students annually. In his role as Director of the Rajya Vokkaliga Sangha representing Kodagu, he has secured more than 100 hostel seats for rural students, enabling them to pursue higher studies in the city. He has also recommended the construction of a free ladies’ hostel at Somwarpet through the Sangha, further expanding educational opportunities for young women. Additionally, Ravindra has facilitated engineering and professional course admissions for deserving students, helping them build solid career paths.

For Kodagu’s children, Harapalli Ravindra is more than a benefactor he is a visionary who transformed his childhood hardship into a movement of hope and empowerment, ensuring generations to come will have the education and opportunities he once longed for.