Abdul Malik, from Kerala, swims to school daily and has never missed a class

He is a 42-year-old mathematics teacher at the Muslim Lower Primary School at Padinjattumuri in Malappuram, Kerala. To avoid the long journey by road, he has been swimming through a muddy river with his clothes, shoes, and tiffin in his left hand to reach his students on time at 9 am. He has never missed a class. Swimming helps him avoid the long road journey, which would involve changing three buses otherwise takes 3 hours to cover a 12-km stretch by bus. The swim ensures he can cover the same distance in 15 mins. He carries his clothes and books in a plastic bag. Once he crosses the river, he changes into fresh clothes and makes his way to the school. Abdul is a staunch environmentalist too and gets saddened by how the river has become dirty over the past years. He often takes his students swimming, who love their unique teacher. Together they remove plastic, garbage, and other filth floating on the river’s surface. “But we should avoid polluting our rivers because nature is a gift from God,”.