Bandipora, Sep 25 (KNS): Atiqa Wani started to take over the responsibilities to earn major chunk for her family after ‘UMEED’ a project of Jammu Kashmir State Rural Livelihood Mission provided her a platform. The fate of 29 year old Atiqa Wani of North Kashmir, Ramhal block changed when JKSRLM provided her a platform to contribute in the earnings of the major chunk for the livelihood of her family. Though before connecting to ‘UMEED’ she used to wander for a job and was not unable to find anything.
While narrating ordeal of her miseries before the adaptation of this project, Atiqa said that “we are seven members in our family, All my siblings are well educated and we all after completing our degrees were bearing a brunt of unemployment ,our father was retired person and whatever he had earned was spent on fulfilling our dreams. So except a home to live we had nothing,” she said
Adding further Atiqa said, “we tried everywhere but we miserably failed to get a breakthrough, it was very difficult for my father to bear all the expenses and our family condition was worsening day by day, we all were in need of job, just to provide a helping hand to my father.”
“I had a dream that after completing my degree I will become a teacher, I tried everywhere and applied for various institutions but my dreams could not see the light of day, There was a time in my life when my parents were worried for me and thinking that they shouldn’t have educated me as they perceiving that all of their earnings had gone vague, Atiqa narrated amid tears rolling down from her eyes.
While recounting her struggle Atiqa further said that, in September 2017, “I was wandering here and there to get a job, failed to make it and despite being an educated I was unemployed and hence heading me towards the depression. Luckily once an ICRP team visited our village ,and the team members made us understand about this UMEED project ,how it uplifts livelihood , I was so inspired by their thoughts and within no time I joined and formed a self-help group(a group consisting of 10-12 girls) she said
After joining UMEED and following the panchsutras our self-help group after three months became eligible for Revolving Fund an amount of 15000 and so “I took this whole amount and after three months the Mission gave us Community Investment Fund an amount of 40000 and I took this amount again and I started to start an educational institution and with the help of this amount I successful did it.”
“I started with 3 rooms and only 5 students were enrolled in my school but today near about 400 students are getting education in my school and today 15 people are perusing their jobs in my school,” she said with smile on her face.
While praising UMEED Atiqa said that since “I joined UMEED my life saw a drastic change, I was wandering for a job, I had never thought that I will be running my own educational institution, I had never thought that such projects exist, UMEED adopted me and other like me in our village and I request to authorities that such programs must be never ending ,” she added.
“Its UMEED who gave flight to my wings, UMEED came to me as a ray of hope and not only made my dreams true but a hope and happiness too, Atiqa said. (KNS)