Bollywood actress Anushka Sharma has praised the endeavors of social worker Harekala Hajabba who was awarded the Padma Shri by the President of India Ram Nath Kovind on Monday. The 68-year-old fruit seller was awarded for bringing a revolution in rural education by building a school in his village.

On Tuesday she took to her social media platforms and recognized Hajabba’s contribution to society. Hajabba is an orange vendor in Mangalore, a coastal district of Karnataka. Born in a poor family, he had no access to education as there were no schools in his village. He sold oranges to support his family.

An incident changed his life. When he could not understand two foreigners asking him in English how much the oranges cost, he realized the importance of formal education. Hajabba vowed that kids belonging to his village will receive the education he never got.

He started saving a part of his earnings for the construction of a school in his village. It took his years but by 2000, Hajabba’s dream came to fruition as he started a school with some 20 students in a building attached to a mosque.

He requested help from politicians, celebrities, and businessmen. His efforts were emphasized in the local media and he got a Rs 5 lakh cash award. Finally, he built a school on 1.5 acres of land where more than 100 underprivileged students are studying from Classes 1 to 10.

His struggles of three decades were applauded as Harekala Hajabba received Padma Shri on Monday. Film personalities Kangana Ranaut, Karan Johar, Ekta Kapoor, Adnan Sami, and SP Balasubrahmanyam were also honored with Padma awards.

Anushka Sharma herself is an animal rights activist and has raised her voice for the cause on various occasions.

On the work front, Anushka Sharma was last seen in front of the screen in the 2018 Aanand L Rai film Zero. She has not announced any film as an actor. Her next production Qala for Netflix marks the debut of late actor Irrfan Khan’s son Babil Khan. She is also producing Sakshi Tanwar starrer Mai, which will also premiere on Netflix.