In a small yet mesmerizing Warsun village, Kralpura, Jammu and Kashmir, the life of Mohammad Yaseen revolves around his Smile Confectionery shop. A place that provides him solace, a sense of security, and helps him move past the trauma his family was put through on the 28th of January, 2026.
On the 28th of January Mohammad Yaseen’s son Tabish Ahmed (18) was walking on the streets of Himachal Pradesh with a bag on his shoulder filled with shawls and winter clothes, ready to be sold to earn a living. He crossed street after street, calling potential customers, silently doing his work without paying much heed to his hunger. As he moved forward, the hunger in his stomach grew, making him famished. Tabish approached a shop for food but was met with what he never deciphered. Assault because of his Kashmiri Muslim identity.
“Every year during winter, when it snows in Kashmir, we go to Vikasnagar in Uttarakhand to earn a living and sell shawls and suits. But this time, when my son went out to work, he did not find earnings; he found pain. He was attacked instead,” Yaseen told Miles2Smile.
“He was beaten so badly that he became unconscious. He suffered a head injury and bled heavily,” he said.
The incident brought immense trouble to the family: security fear, emotional turmoil, and financial stress. While the family could not find a way to recover, Miles2Smile travelled to Vasantkunj and paved the way for the family. The organization provided medical support to Tabish and eased their trouble. But their circumstances demanded more. Financial security was still paramount.
Tabish’s scars healed with time, but what remained were the patches of fear for earning. But could they survive without a livelihood? The thought lurked.
A couple of months after the recovery, Tabish shared his ordeal with Miles2Smile. We understood the need, and to earn smiles, we yet again travelled extra miles and reached Jammu and Kashmir’s Warsun village.
In the rugged mountain beauty of Warsun, where air smells fresh and life seems pink, Yasmeen’s life appears colorless. The loss of livelihood was palpable. He shared his suffering with Miles2Smile, who in turn promised him support. The organization helped him establish a confectionery shop, helping him earn with safety and security. And for his young son Tabish, Miles2Smile is walking with him in his educational journey, creating a future for him where worry seems sporadic and stability seems lasting.
