Tulasi Munda is a noted social activist from Keonjhar, India who opened the first school in her village under a Mahua tree in 1963 after meeting Vinoba Bhave. She convinced local mine workers to send their children to her school and raised funds by selling food. The school now has two buildings and provides education up to 10th standard for over 500 students. Tulasi helped establish 17 schools that have educated over 20,000 children. She has received many awards including Padma Shri for her work in education and eradicating alcoholism among tribal communities.

2. ODIYA NARI
TULASI MUNDA
Presented byShaswati Mohapatra

3. INTRODUCTION
• She is a noted social activist from
Keonjhar, India born on 1947.
• She is a tribal girl who has never gone
to school.

4. How she started her journey..
• Tulasi had an encounter with Vinoba
Bhave when he visited Odisha in the
year 1963 during the Bhoodan Andolan
Padayatra.
• It was then in that Padayatra, she
promised Vinoba Bhave that she would
follow his principles and guidelines
throughout her life.

5. • Then Vinoba Bhave went to every tribal
village and started teaching them that
what is the value of education.
• With his inspiration she opened a school
under a Mahua tree for the children of
tribal mine workers.

6. • Tulasi then started a night school in the
beginning with the help of the
village Mukhiya and then she convinced
the mine workers to leave their children in
her care during the day.
• In her own words, “I had to visit each
and every house. I was an illiterate
and knew nothing of bookish
knowledge’ but I had come to know
about the importance of education
and had enough practical knowledge
to impart it.”

7. • She used to sell Murri (puffed rice) and
vegetables to raise funds for the school.
Later when she started gaining the
confidence of the villagers, they started
providing her with food and a place to
live. Later she persuaded the villagers
to cut stones from the mountains and to
help her build the school.
• As Tulasi had no money to pay to the
teachers, she gathered the youth of the
village, who had primary level
education.

8. • Donations began coming in from large
industrial houses and some foreign
agencies. Now Tulasi charges Rs 200 a
month for the hostel but only from those
who can afford to pay her. Today the
school has seven teachers and 354
students with hostel facilities for 81
children.

9. • Today the Adivasi Vikas Samiti School
has two concrete buildings. Tulasi
helped in establishing 17 schools and
succeeded in educating 20,000 boys
and girls. Currently her school provides
education up to the 10th standard, has
over 500 students, half of whom are
girls.

10. • “Of course, there are a lot of financial
constraints; even now I can’t pay my
schoolteachers their salaries on time,
but I do get help from foreign agencies
and individuals from time to time.
Support and financial aid from TSRDS
(Tata Steel Rural Development
Society) has come in as a great help.”

11. .
Except education she also tried to
eradicate alcoholism among the tribals.
• In her words “the first thing I want to
do is to prevent alcoholism among
the tribals who regularly take
handiya (the local brew). I also want
to form gram sabhas and mahila
sangathans to discuss and find ways
to improve their condition”.

12. Awards won by her
• The well-known tribal woman leader of
Odisha for getting an Honorary
Doctorate from the Central University,
Koraput.
• Samaj Seva Award, Barbil - 1981
• Ananya Award, Joda - 1997
• Bharatiya Adim Jati Sevak Sanghathan
Award, New Delhi - 1998
• Swabhiman Award, Bhubaneswar 1999

14. • Tulsi has received prestigious
Padma Shri award for her
commendable work in 2001.

15. Tulasi Munda has proved the fact
that, it is pure will and determination
that you need to bring the change
and you can do wonders.

16. Thank You