Rural Window: Silver lining in a very smoky cloud
A decade of conflict in Kashmir has deeply affected the lives of people, their health, their economic statuses, access to education and their work.
.jpg)
The scars of civil strife in Kashmir are unending and people like Javed Ahmad Tak are spearheading a movement for peace and rehabilitation in strife torn towns. Javed was bruised and maimed by a militant attack in 1995 leaving him paraplegic and bed ridden for over three years. Javed however turned his adversity into a mission. He started by establishing a centre called HELPLINE -Humanity Welfare Organization which provided skill building and vocational training for people with special needs and those affected by militancy. What started as the only organisation in J&K that caters to people with special needs, today also houses a Samanbal – a women’s center, which provides education and computer literacy to girls from Below Poverty Line families and empowers them to face life. Javed Ahmed Tak has received formal recognition by the government of India for his courage and community service and has gone on to complete a Masters in Social Work from the University of Kashmir. He continues to inspire people from all walks of life. As he himself says,” One should not think too much about owns disabilities or sorrow. Every one is capable of achieving everything in this world.”
Share this:
CarolynApril 22, 2009 at 11:31 pm
Great post and interesting to learn about Javed’s work despite what could have been a debilitating attack. Instead he is an example of courage and perseverance that we should all follow.
Christina Lobo JhaApril 27, 2009 at 11:31 pm
Here is another example of such stature…. Navin Gulia is an invaluable gift from God for many children of ADAA – Apni Duniya Apna Ashiana (Our World Our Home), which is an effort aimed at helping, assisting and guiding the lives of street children, orphans, physically handicapped children and destitute children. He joined the National Defense Academy at 17 and entered civil society at 22 where he realized that there was a much bigger battle to be fought..The battle with ourselves. Navin is a graduate from the National Defence Academy. He has a masters in Indian history from Pune University, a Masters in Computer Management from Symbiosis and UGC NET lectureship in computer applications. He was injured while a soldier and suffered with paralysis. The doctors said that if he somehow lives 3 days he may live. He lived past 3 days and still lives. ADAA started when one peak winter night in Delhi with near zero temperature he saw an infant girl with only a torn open shirt on her crying bare feet on the road. Some children who might have brought her for begging with them had abandoned her. He never wanted to see that kind of thing happen again. He and his team work in the field, teaching in villages, distributing food and clothing to street children/beggar children, going to hutments where they stay and distribute food/conduct classes. They keep a tab on infants being used for begging and we are in the process of setting up a home for extreme cases like severely physically challenged or abandoned cases. Right now they are mainly working in and around Gurgaon and Delhi, and have representatives in Mumbai, Pune, Vizag and Goa. Navin always wanted to work for street children and needy children as he believes …..When you help a child you change a whole life for the better. These children are our future. Scores of children, infants, toddlers begging/made to beg in the streets in pathetic conditions and no one coming forward is a shame for our society. Read more bout Navin Gulia at http://www.orkutheroes.com/navingulia/