Shopian, July 22: “Keegam Youth Trust”, an association formed by educated youth in South Kashmir’s Shopian district has gained prominence within two months of its establishment.
Spearheaded by Dr. Aftab Ahmad Rather, a doctorate in Sociology, along with other educated youth from Keegam, the Trust focuses on environmental conservation and societal change.
Since its inception, Keegam Youth Trust has launched numerous initiatives, including the cleanliness of water bodies, garbage collection, and awareness campaigns against social evils.
“We covered almost Keegam and all adjacent localities,” said Aftab.
The trust, initially little-known, came into the spotlight after the Lieutenant Governor (LG) of Jammu and Kashmir, Manoj Sinha, recognized their efforts on July 21 during the “Awaam Ki Awaaz” programme.
The LG praised the initiative, stating that around 180 youth from Shopian joined hands to form the Keegam Youth Trust.
“The main objective of this trust is the cleanliness of water bodies and addressing the issue of plastic waste. The third important objective is to bring a change in people’s thinking,” he said, commending the initiative as unique.
“Changing thinking leads to a change in attitude, and a change in attitude transforms society. A decade ago, posters on walls were the medium to get information about clean water, conservation of streams, and cleanliness.
Now, cleanliness and water body conservation have become part of our attitude,” he said, adding that in May, the youth of Shopian established the Keegam Youth Trust with the aim of installing dustbins at selected places.
“Within the first week, they received full support from local community members, particularly while lifting plastic waste from an irrigation canal, which eased expansion in their field of work,” the LG said.
Aftab told Rising Kashmir that the recognition from the LG has inspired them to work even harder for the betterment of society.
“This is inspiring not only for us but for youth from other places too,” he said, adding that he believes the appreciation their trust received will motivate more people in Jammu and Kashmir to work for societal betterment.
Aftab shared that he had been conceptualizing the Keegam Youth Trust for the past eight years, but it only took shape two months ago when he revealed his plans to some local youth.
“The thinking was that community involvement is necessary to address societal issues,” he said.
While acknowledging the government’s role in providing facilities and taking care of various matters, Aftab emphasised the importance of individual responsibility.
“We have a responsibility to create awareness among people to adopt an environment-friendly approach, raise awareness about social evils, and tackle challenges like virtual identity,” he said.
He added that the LG’s recognition has energised them and that they will continue working on multiple initiatives to inspire people throughout the country.
