Amir Rashid Wani : Social Activist who is becoming a helping hand towards the underprivileged people of kashmir
This story is about a young man of just 22, who has changed lives of thousands in Kashmir and has become an inspiration for the youth of the valley. If the face of Kashmir has to change, we need more people like Amir Rashid Wani in this world.
His Journey started when a class 11th Kashmiri boy, from Goigam Magam Baramullah decided to accompany his father for his monthly visit to meet a less fortunate family living in the outskirts of his town.
He was the typical carefree teenager, living in the moment, enjoying life, till he met this family of 8, living in a small broken-down tin roofed hut. An old father who could hardly see or fend for himself, 6 daughters to be married off. Wife who could barely provide the days meal. Amir’s father would visit this family and help them with whatever he could.
This experience impacted the young lads mind and spirit strongly. He realised how fortunate he was and how, like most of us, he also took his benefits for granted. Seeing the desperate condition of that family, the pain and degradation they were facing, young awakened Amir took a call to reach out to the less fortunate and do what he could.
At 17, Amir Rashid Wani experienced his ‘turning point’. Moment.
He knew, he had found his path ahead. No one fathomed then, that he would become a role model for thousands of people in the Kashmir Valley, as the youth of a Nation are the trustees of posterity.
The only way that we can live is if we grow. The only way we can grow is, if we change. The only way we can change is, if we learn. The only way we can learn is, if we are exposed. And the only way that we are exposed is, if we throw ourselves into the open. And that is what Amir did.
His first response was to make a group of friends and arrange money to get two of that family’s girls married. It was like tasting blood.
Amir Rashid started by serving and helping humanity when he found anyone in need. Being a smart brain, he used his social media accounts, you tube videos to broadcast any injustice he saw happening around. Slowly his popularity grew amongst the locals and help started pouring in, to support his causes. Challenges are what makes life interesting and over covering them is what makes life meaningful.
After passing 11th class examination, Amir stepped out of Kashmir for pursuing polytechnic diploma in engineering in a private college in Chandigarh but that did not stop him. He continued to help people irrespective of caste, colour, region and religion. He took part in different initiatives taken by different organizations regarding drug addiction and child abuse.
In 2019, when the government of India scrapped Article 370, the whole of the valley went under strict curfew. Unfortunately, many who were out of Kashmir, were left stranded with no communication with their families or funds.
Amir Rashid, who was suffering too, reached out by arranging shelters, funds and food for those in distress. He arranged air tickets for them to travel back home. In Chandigarh itself, he joined many local organisations to support education and healthcare.
16 October 2019 itself, Amir registered his
Mooj Kasheer Welfare Trust in Delhi.
It is a non-governmental, non-political and non-profit organization.
Since then, more than twenty-five lakhs have been raised for medical care like cancer, tumour etc. creating shelters and impacted over 1000 families in the first year.
He has done a tremendous job during COVID-19 pandemic and helped district administration Srinagar and reached to those whose livelihood got hit by lockdown. Various projects were initiated to create covid awareness and distribution of masks. There is no count of the helpless families he supported during the pandemic. Silently he and his army of 50 dedicated social volunteers and friends have been working to bring about a change in society.
He is one of the youngest social service activists of Kashmir.
He and his organization-Mooj Kasheer Welfare Trust, want to educate the poor and orphans. At present, they are supporting plenty of village schools by arranging books, stationery and school fees.
Funds are being arranged through donations for medical care, chemotherapy and other services, free of cost. Amir is tireless striving to arrange ambulances and struggling to see that the wounded reach the hospital on time.
Due to poverty thousands have become homeless, so shelters are being arranged by his NGO through Crowd Funding.
The most heart-warming initiative he is working on at present is getting over 200 young destitute girls married. He is desperately running post to pillar requesting sponsorships for this holy cause. Every possible help will be most welcome.