“Sir, Altamash 10 din se school nhi aa raha hai… (“Sir, Altamash has not been coming to school for the past 10 days.”) Ms. Fatima, one of the teachers of Sunrise Public School, called and informed Miles2Smile.
On further conversation with Ms. Fatima, it was revealed that his grandfather fell ill and succumbed to his illness. With the death of grandfather, the only source of income eroded too, leaving the burden on Atamash and his grandmother.
The team of Miles2Smile went to Altamash’s house to provide him solace and comfort. However, what we saw left us aghast. Altamash was standing in front of the shop’s counter, wearing a black coat, just tall enough to reach the counter.
Seeing him in this condition made our hearts ache. We talked to him and asked him, “Don’t you miss your classmates?” He mumbled as he said, “Yes, I do.” Altamash rolled back his tears and gave a smile, a painful smile. His pain urged us to take him back to school and help him study again.
With the assistance of Ms. Fatima, we communicated our decision to help Altamash restart his education to his grandmother. Altamash’s grandmother seemed worried about the source of income. To erase her apprehension, we promised to provide them a monthly allowance until iddat (the period a woman must observe after the dissolution of her marriage, whether through death or divorce, before she can remarry).
At Miles2Smile, we believe in providing long-term relief and sources of livelihood. To make it possible, we promised to revamp and restock after the Iddat period. Through our Ramadan’s zakat donation drive, we were able to fulfill that promise too.
Altamash is back to school, studying with his classmates, learning each day. His grandmother’s iddat is over; she now sits in her shop with items placed perfectly in front of her. She deals with customers and earns a decent income required to meet their expenses and save a bit for Altamash’s future.
With the help of our donors and the hard work of our team, we were able to transform two lives at a time.
About Sunrise Public School: Sunrise Public School in Loni, Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, was founded by the Miles2Smile to support survivors of the 2020 North-East Delhi Pogrom. Over time, it has expanded to educate orphans, underprivileged, and marginalized children, successfully bringing 480 students back to school. The school encourages students to pursue their interests through various programs, competitions, and activities held throughout the year. With opportunities in sports, cultural events, and literature, every child is encouraged to participate and grow. The focus remains on creating an inclusive space where students can explore their potential and build a brighter future.
