MUMBAI: Being forced to back out of school at the age of 7, he had a clear mission; no other child should be deprived the power of education. From begging on the streets of Kolkata to now being the man responsible for the free education of over 425 underprivileged children in West Bengal, the story of Gazi Jalaludin is what true heroes are made of.

Kick-starting its #HelpingTrueHeroes initiative, Neurobion Forte (a vitamin brand from Merck) and The Better India (a tech-media platform), have come together to recognize the undying spirit of Jalaludin and felicitate him as one of India’s `True Heroes.’

Merck India MD Anand Nambiar said, “This campaign aims to recognize the undying spirit of India’s lesser known heroes such as Jalaludin, who while fulfilling the dreams of their families, are also extending a helping hand to the society. I would urge everyone to support us in acknowledging and celebrating the efforts of Jalaludin and other real-life heroes and help spread the stories of their selfless work with the world. We thank The Better India team for partnering with Neurobion in recognising, supporting and helping India’s True Heroes.”

Jalaludin says, “This 40 year journey has not only been challenging, but also very rewarding. My unknown taxi passengers and generous donors have helped me bring alive my dream of a world where no Gazi has to stop going to school anymore. There’s still a long way to go. Even today I struggle to give mid-day meals to the children and salaries to the teachers. Recognition and endorsement from Merck’s Neurobion Forte & The Better India will help spread more awareness about this cause.”

Says Better India CEO Dhimant Parekh, “We are excited to partner with Merck to showcase the stories of True Heroes. Filming these stories has been a great experience and we are sure the audience will only be left inspired.”