Man quits job to teach watchmen’s children for free: Turns old water tank into a classroom; Many of his students now earn over Rs 20 lakh

In a quiet corner of Hyderabad’s Miyapur area, a small classroom built around a converted overhead water tank has quietly changed hundreds of lives over the years.

Children of watchmen, domestic workers and low-income families gather there every evening to study, and many of them have gone on to become engineers, software professionals and successful working adults.

The initiative was started by Pothukuchi Srinivas, a former corporate employee who walked away from a stable job to teach underprivileged children for free.


According to a report by The Better India, the programme has now helped more than 1,500 students through education and technical training.

One Student Now Earns Nearly Rs 20 Lakh A Year

Among the success stories is Akula Kalyani, whose father worked as a watchman while she studied in the unusual classroom.

Today, she reportedly works as a software engineer and earns close to Rs 20 lakh annually.

Her journey has become one of the strongest examples of how access to education and proper support can completely transform lives.

A Student’s Struggle Changed Srinivas’ Life

Before starting the initiative, Srinivas worked at a German company while also volunteering at a government school after office hours.

During that time, he noticed many children struggled to keep up with studies because of poverty, lack of electricity and part-time work responsibilities.

One particular conversation stayed with him.

A student once explained that he could not finish his homework because he spent evenings cleaning tea carts and did not even have electricity at home.

The incident deeply affected Srinivas and eventually convinced him to leave his corporate career behind to focus entirely on helping such children.

Free Education Started From His Own Home

In 2003, Srinivas launched the Pothukuchi Somasundara Social Welfare and Charitable Trust, named after his father.

Initially, he started teaching students for free from his own home before later expanding into the now-famous classroom built inside a repurposed water tank.

Over time, the trust grew into a full support system for children from struggling families.

Apart from education, the organisation also helps students with tuition fees, books, uniforms, transport, coaching classes and other daily needs.

Special arrangements are even made to help girl students travel home safely after evening lessons.

Former Students Now Help The Next Generation

One of the most heartwarming parts of the initiative is that many former students eventually return to support younger children studying there.

What began as a small effort to help a few underprivileged students has slowly grown into a community-driven education movement.

For many families working as apartment watchmen or domestic staff, the trust has become a rare place where their children’s ambitions are taken seriously and actively encouraged.

Inputs from agencies