In the far-flung hamlet of Judinambal in Baramulla, where fields outweigh classrooms and literacy remains a distant dream, a young man has emerged as a symbol of hope. At just 25, Rameez Ahmad Kumar earned his postgraduate degree in Social Work from the University of Kashmir — making him only the second person in his village’s history to reach this milestone.
For a community of nearly 100 families, where agriculture and horticulture dominate daily life, education has always been secondary to survival. With a literacy rate below 50% and female literacy even lower, opportunities for higher studies remain painfully rare. The village has only one primary school, while students must travel long, costly, and exhausting journeys for higher classes.
Rameez grew up battling these odds. “Most families think of farming as immediate relief, while education feels like a distant, risky investment,” he reflects. Yet, he refused to let the cycle of hardship define his future. His determination led him to complete post-graduation — a feat many in Judinambal never dared to dream of.
But Rameez’s pride is tempered with concern. “I’m the second in ten years. What if no one follows? What about the children growing up here?” he asks, his words echoing the silent struggle of a generation caught between survival and ambition.
In Judinambal, education is more than a personal achievement — it is resistance, hope, and the possibility of change. And in that story, Rameez stands not just as a graduate, but as a torchbearer for the future of his forgotten village.
