03/14/2024
An inspirational story of a wonderful human being.
Thabir is the manager of our SevaChild water wells ("Gratitude Wells") work.
We built 50 wells in poor, rural India last year. Our goal is 100 in 2024. For only $1700, all in, we can build a new, clean, liberating water well!
Thabir Bagh
A Hero’s Journey
Thabir Bagh was born in the tribal village Majhiguda in Odisha, India. Like most tribal people his parents were uneducated. They were not sure when he was born, his mother only knew that he was born on a Tuesday. Thabirdecided for documentation purposes his birthday would be May 8, 1988. Growing up, his father was extremely ill with cancer and could not provide for his family. His family’s social caste in India was considered the lowest caste, who are known as “the untouchables”. Thabir’s mother was not allowed to work in society and was forced to be a laborer for the lower caste making one rupee a day.
Thabir’s mother was a major influence in his life, she was a godly woman and taught him to be honest and to always be of service to others. His Mother not only struggled to feed her children who would at times go for three days without food. But two of her six children were paralyzed due to a vitamin deficiency during her pregnancy. When Thabir was too young to go to school, his mother would take him to the jungle, sit him under a tree all day long, as she left to do a day’s worth of labor.
His mother gifted Thabir with a premonition; “You will be a blessing for everyone, all our tribal people, not only the tribal people but many people will be blessed by you.”
Thus, his hero’s journey began. His life was filled with struggles to climb out of the caste system. Everyday was difficult experiencing lack, discrimination, and hunger. In grade school, when he did not show up with a pen and paper he was punished, which was a daily experience. He constantly had to scrape the trash for note paper and pencil to continue his education. After experiencing the lower caste abuse of discrimination and punishment he had more of a desire and passion to be educated and to make social changes in honor of his family.
He graduated High School but not without challenges. To get to school, Thabir walked 8km a day through the jungle sometimes having to run, climb a tree or hide from the wild animals. Yes, lions, tigers and bears….oh my!
Like every Hero after high school graduation, Thabir left his familiar surroundings and sought a higher education. He attended PTL College in UP, India graduating with bachelor’s degree in commerce. This did not come easy, every morning he would wake up at 3:30, clean twelve bathrooms, and wash seven cars at the college in exchange for his education.
After he received his degree and was fluently speaking three languages, he was ready to take on the world. Thabir started out working as a supervisor at a call center. He was a natural born leader, and he was making money for the first time in his life, but this was not fulfilling to his soul. He knew his calling was for social reform. He saved enough money and went on the road traveling India changing the world with his passion for social fairness and equality. Still, something was not right. He knew his calling was to go home to Odisha and serve the tribal people and other disadvantaged individuals.
Like every hero he went home a changed man. Thabir Bagh became the voice for the discriminated tribal people. Making sure if a tribal child had a desire to go to school, he or she had a seat in the classroom. When a tribal person needed medical assistance, he made sure the ambulance arrived and the doctor served them for no charge. When the state promised to feed the children in school a healthy meal and instead served rice and water down beans. He took a video and handed it to the media. He made sure justice was served and the children were given the proper meal as promised. When the rich people were using the trial people as slaves to work the fields in exchange for food, Thabir called the police, gathered the tribal community, and stood for justice. He is a kind-hearted compassionate man with a warrior spirit for justice.
Thabir became well known as a local celebrity as an inspirational speaker and an advocate. This is how he met his wife Reena who asked him to speak at her local club and then the rest was history.
Through social connections all of his positive energy was channeled to Rick Carlton with SevaChild.org. This gave Thabir the resources to serve his people in a greater way. During covid-19 when the villagers were not allowed to work, and starvation was setting in, Thabir was able to deliver food rations to the tribes and disadvantaged through the generosity of SevaChild.org.
When delivering food rations to the leprosy colonies, he discovered their great need for clean drinking water. The President of SevaChild, Rick Carlton, arranged for an electric water well to be installed in two l***r colonies. After the two clean water wells were installed in the leaper colonies, Thabir saw the need for clean water within the tribal villages. Many villagers were dying due to drinking contaminated water. Thus, the hand pump “Gratitude Wells” was introduced in his tribal villages. Donors from the United States were donating ‘Gratitude Wells’ in honor of loved ones who passed away or in honor of their family name. Today Thabir has managed over 50 wells in the tribal villages.
When the state would not build roads to a multi-religious cemetery, Thabir united the people to build the road and inspired SevaChild to build a well at the cemetery that honored his parents. This news was covered on the local television stations. When the truck to drill the wells in the villages could not get into the villages because there were no roads, just jungle. Thabir united the villages to create a road.
Thabir Bagh has proven himself to be a hero. He climbed out of the caste system with hard work, determination, and focus. His passion is expressed through serving the local, tribal villages and the disadvantaged people of Odisha, India. He knows how to inspire and unite people for a common purpose, and he is a warrior for social justice. His mother’s premonition came true!
You will be a blessing for everyone, all our tribal people, not only the tribal people but many people will be blessed by you
If you are inspired to give, please go to www.sevachild.org.
Thank you!
