Inspiration                                                                                                   19th Feb 2012

|Shahzaman Ali Agha | 

An outstanding member of youth of GB who initiated “The Milky Way” an organization that says “Today’s youth for Tomorrow’s Youth”. We had an Interview with Zaman about The Milky Way as well as his personal life.

The OEC: Please tell us about your background.
Zaman: I was born in a village Thoi of Yaseen on labour day, 1st may 1991, I brought up in Pakistan Military Academey Kakul Abbotabad, I studied there till class 8th when I got a scholarship for Beaconhouse School system from Hashoo Foundation. I did my O levels from the Beaconhouse school system with a distinction in Urdu literature as a result I was given brilliance in Pakistan award and Gold medal in 2008 from Cambridge University. I got into Roots college international and did my A levels. Now I am in NUST doing graduation in Mathematics at Centre for Advance Mathematics and Physics (CAMP) NUST H-12 Islamabad.
The OEC: Please give us a brief introduction to The Milky Way. What is the basic idea?
Zaman: Milky Way is my initiative for those who live in Milky Way, it is a youth led initiative with the aim to bring “Today’s youth for tomorrow’s youth”. We believe that we can only be able to do something for the society after completing our education and getting a job, but when we do that instead of doing something for the society we go for personal purposes so, the enthusiasm of doing something for the society fades away when we get into professional and family lives. Eventually we even forget the promises that we had once made with ourselves to play a vital role for the betterment of the society. Milky Way fills this gap between a very charged enthusiastic and jubilant imagination to a dead selfish introvert mind by its adoption concept.
Milky Way has given the youth a path to make a big change with a little contribution. This is a small practice for the youth to make something very big in the future. I believe the one who is adopting a child with his pocket money today will play a vital role to bring a change in the society when he is in professional life.
The OEC: What is the concept of adoption?
Zaman: Milky Way is the first in Pakistan who has introduced the concept of adoption; a donor adopts a needy and tallented child through Milky Way. The donor is given each and every detail about the child but the child is only aware that he is a scholar of Milky Way. As accountability the Milky Way shares annual fee receipts and academic reports annually with the donor. The donor is expected and encouraged to adopt the child till grade 12th and even after that if he/she wishes. We support the children in their local schools after that the child will be enrolled in prestigious institutions like AKHSS , Cadet college and others to ensure his/her bright future. It really works out for the college and university students as they can adopt a child by keeping in mind the years to get into their professional lives.
The OEC: How did the Idea of Milky way Evolved and how did it progress? Please give some explanations.
Zaman: I used to support three needy kids by paying their school fees in my village, I discussed that with my High School and College teacher, they appreciated me and extended their support by funding more children. I promised that I will share the fee receipts and academic reports of the children they are supporting. So this way the Idea of Adoption evolved in my mind and when I came to University I extended the idea to my friends, they were very kind that they accepted and started their support by adopting kids and expanding the program, they also helped me in organizing it like Abid Tashi who played a major role in making Milky Way what it is today?
The OEC: Tell us about Team Milky Way.
Zaman: Well my team is very hardworking and sincere in whatever they are doing. At Milky Way decisions and implementation happens very fast. Although we are not professionals but we believe that this is an opportunity for others to follow our footsteps. We a team of 14 members, 16 university ambassadors and upcoming regional ambassadors will Inshallah write a very bright page in the history of GB.
The OEC: Your vision for GB, with the help of Milky Way where do you wish GB to be in future?
Zaman: I have a broader vision for GB, I would like GB to be a place a kid has toys to play with in his childhood as he grows an opportunity to get quality education, an environment which could teach him the values of humanity and a society which could Provide him a good social status based on his merit. I want GB not to be a place where misery, beggary, poverty, illiteracy, homelessness and social evils are at its peak.
The OEC: How Milky Way will contribute to gain such an ideal society?
Zaman: If you go to the root causes of beggary homelessness and other social evils in our Mega cities you will find that these societies did not educate and groom their children as a result they had to pay the cost. Therefore Milky Way has focuses to educate the poor, orphans and talented students who otherwise remain illiterate and end up as a burden for the society. For Milky Way one child is one whole family. So we change one whole family by adopting their child.
The OEC: You have recently joined step up Pakistan, please tell us about Step up Pakistan and the reason why you joined it?
Zaman: Step UP Pakistan is an initiative by Ali Moeen Nawazish to bring a change with the youth of power, Milky Way joined step UP Pakistan to step UP Gilgit Baltistan through our adopt a child program. Milky Way will adopt around 600 students from various remote regions of Gilgit Baltistan.
The OEC: What do you expect from the youth of GB for The Milky Way, What would be your message for the youth?
Zaman: As Milky Way is a youth led initiative to bring a social change by educating young minds. This aim cannot be achieved without the support of youth, I would like the youth to join us as volunteers, regional ambassador, university and college ambassadors. The Volunteer form will soon be available on the website and Facebook page of Milky Way.
Milky Way can only achieve the desired results in a specific region if the youth there supports us in launching our adoption program so, it all depends on the youth how they cooperate Milky Way. I believe that if we by the power of youth adopt 600 students from all over G-B then after few years of hard work GB will never be the same.
The OEC: Thank you for the time you gave us, we wish you and Milky Way a long and successful spin. The OEC will support and cooperate with you and Inshallah we will have a good cooperation for Gilgit-Baltistan.

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