ASI enables education of 600 children in dead daughter’s name

Bengaluru: Here a father has extended a helping hand for the education of poor children in the name of his daughter who passed away prematurely. In the name of her daughter Harshali, who was with him for 4 years, her father, Assistant Sub-Inspector Lokeshappa, has dedicated one month’s salary to the education of poor children of a government school.

Lokeshappa Hassan, who works as an assistant sub-inspector in Shivajinagar women’s police station, hails from Valehalli in Arsikere district. He started his career as a constable in the police department in 2005. Lokeshappa and wife Sudhamani have two daughters, Harshali and Janyaswara.

In 2019, four-year-old Harshali suffered 60 per cent burns when a fire broke out in a garbage pile of a police housing complex in Shivajinagar. Harshali was in the hospital for 9 days and the treatment was ineffective and she died.

Disturbed by this accident, the Lokeshappa couple decided to keep their daughter’s name forever and established the ‘Harshali Foundation’ in the same year. Through this, he was helping the education of the poor children of the government school. He had reserved one month’s salary for it. Colleagues, relatives and friends who have noticed his social service have also given financial support and are distributing various educational materials including books, pens, notebooks which are needed for the education of six government school poor children.

‘Daughter’s death can’t be digested: His daughter Harshali, who was being treated at Victoria Hospital, was holding his hands and wailing. I still can’t forget it. She had suffered a lot before her death. I was mentally depressed after the death of my daughter, our other daughter was six months old.’ Lokeshappa’s eyes filled with tears as he said that my wife gave me courage in this situation.

Deciding to do something in her daughter’s name, the Harshali Foundation was established. If my daughter was alive, I would have spent at least Rs 50,000 to Rs 70,000 per year on her education. I will spend the same money now on poor children.

Before the start of each academic year, we provide the required materials. Lokeshappa said that at least 500-600 children from five government schools will benefit from this.

We are helping children from Doddahosur Government School in Mysore District, Jodigubbi Government School in Hassan District, Jannavara and Valehalli Schools, Kodigehalli Government School in Bangalore.

‘While I spend around Rs 70,000 every year, some of my colleagues, family members and friends together spend around Rs 1.5 lakh to Rs 2 lakh every year. Kodigehalli Government School in Bangalore has migrant children from North Karnataka and North India. We select such children from 1st to 5th standard and provide pencil, geometry box, bag and other notebooks’. Lokeshappa informed that this year they have thought of helping the children with education of another school.