Change Is Possible… Sameer Has Proven It…!

[Shahrukh Atpade]

When the mind is prepared, change becomes possible. A young man from Nandwal village Sameer Patil  has shown this through his actions.

For the past three years, the Avani Smile team has been working in Nandwal village. I work here with the youth and men identifying their strengths and encouraging them to take positive actions.

Sameer and I have built a strong bond over these three years. With time, the trust between us grew deeper and turned into a close friendship. We consider each other like brothers and openly share our feelings.

During this period, Sameer would often talk with other boys about the issues faced by the youth in the village. And whenever we met, most of our discussions were focused on these topics.

In Nandwal, many boys start doing color/painter’s work right after completing their 10th grade. Since they begin earning early, some of them fall into different addictions. To prevent this, the youth restarted their traditional sport Lezim. This activity was something they had decided to bring back during the Dream-Building session. Every evening, the boys played Lezim for an hour, and it received an excellent response. Playing Lezim helped them forget their daily stress and tiredness.

Still, Sameer and a few boys felt that the youth should stay away from such risky work. But the big question was  when would this change begin, and how? Since the boys received weekly payments from this job, they would give a small amount at home and spend the remaining money on fancy items or partying. Watching older boys getting into addictions, younger boys too started following the same path.

After thinking deeply about all this, Sameer decided to start the change with himself. After Diwali, he reflected on his family’s situation, his responsibilities, and his future. And then, with determination, he decided to quit that job.

Today, Sameer works at a different place where he is employed as a supervisor, and out of personal interest, he is also taking computer training. Through this, he earns well and also gains a sense of satisfaction. He believes that other boys too should leave that work and choose a path that benefits both them and their families. Hard work has no substitute this is true but it is equally important that this hard work goes into the right direction.

The step Sameer has taken will definitely help him fulfill his dreams in the future. This makes me truly happy. And I am confident that his decision will inspire many other boys as well.