This one is not a lottery like the Nobel Peace Prize this year. For US President Barack Obama it was a windfall and a lottery. But what Dr. R. Purnima, Professor of English, Karnataka State Open University (KSOU), got — the Fulbright - Nehru Senior Research Fellowship for the year 2009 - 2010 — was neither a windfall nor a lottery.

It was the scholarship given to a most deserving person, one who has worked so hard in the field of children's education and for so long, since 1990. She was passionate about what she set out to do, in her own way, for the cause of ALL children. And every child who came under her tutelage was a beneficiary of her kindness and teaching.

A Ph.D. holder from the University of Mysore in 1998 under the guidance of none other than the Jnanpith awardee Dr. U.R. Ananthamurthy, Dr. Purnima is the Founder - Director of the Children's Literary Club in Mysore. She is the moving spirit behind this unique forum to tap the hidden talent in children. In the beginning, I used to get a postcard from her detailing the weekly programmes and on special programme days a report with an earnest request to publish. Such a noble cause, how will a newspaper with concern for the community deny itself such an opportunity to serve children? Star of Mysore has always been co-operative and has been giving good coverage for all the activities of the Club.

Dr. Purnima has taken this responsibility as if it is inspirational. As if divinely ordained. No wonder the membership of the Club is free and timings are flexible which means she has devoted her 24 X 7 for this cause.

Not surprisingly, children from all strata of society are members and the Club, over the years, has transcended its original focus of literary activities to include workshops on music, dramatics, theatre - related subjects, science, maths, environment etc, etc.

In these days of cell phones, computers, internet, website, Twitter etc., the worry is the ever - dwindling interest among children in reading books. This Club has been working to popularise reading habit among children.

Indeed Dr. Purnima has been a God - mother, virtual - mother, foster - mother, mother- superior and the big mother to all her young Club members. And being single, she must be deriving vicarious joy of a real mother.

Congratulations to this special mother on her getting the Fulbright Scholarship from the United States India Educational Foundation. And rightly the scholarship is to work on the 'Role of Education Theatre in America in Empowering Young Lives.' Star of Mysore wishes her all the best.

By the way, if she is going to be in the capital of Texas, Austin, during the Fellowship next year, I may have an opportunity to meet her as I am likely to visit Austin as a guest to attend a function. If it happens, our readers will, of course, know!