From the Tracks to Transformation

Rehaman's Jounery of Change

“Sometimes, just one act of kindness can change the entire direction of a life.”- Rehaman Ahmed

The railway tracks were busy that day. Trains passed by, people rushed from one place to another, and amidst all the noise, Rehaman noticed a group of children standing nearby. Their clothes were torn, their faces carried stories of struggle, but what caught his attention was not their hardship- it was the way someone was treating them.

A man was sitting with them, listening to them, and speaking to them with warmth and respect. He wasn’t looking at them with sympathy, but with dignity.

That man was Sagar (Co-founder of RDWA). Curious, Rehaman walked up and asked,“Why are you doing this?” Sagar looked at the children and replied,“Because they matter. And someone needs to tell them that before the world tells them otherwise.”

Those words stayed with Rehaman.

That small conversation became the beginning of a journey he never imagined.

What makes Rehaman’s story different is that he did not enter RDWA as a volunteer who came to change someone else’s life. He came as a child himself. At the age of 17, he was standing on the other side of hope — trying to understand his own place in the world.

But with time, support, and guidance, Rehaman began to discover something within himself: the ability to create change.

Today, he serves as RDWA’s Community Outreach Manager — a transformation from a child searching for direction to a leader helping others find theirs.

Over the years, Rehaman’s journey has touched hundreds of lives. He has helped more than 120 children reconnect with formal education, conducted over 30 awareness sessions around addiction and mental health, and built bridges between communities and families. Through street plays, conversations, and community campaigns, he has created spaces where children and young people feel heard.

For him, change was never about standing above people and offering solutions. It was always about standing with them.

One of the most challenging chapters of his journey began when he started the Nasha Mukti Abhiyan, a campaign against substance abuse. The work was not easy. There were threats. There were calls asking him to stop. There were moments when fear could have taken over.

But Rehaman chose to continue.

As he reflects,“Not everyone is the same.”

While some people tried to create fear, many others supported him — including senior police officers, who encouraged him to keep working at the ground level and not step back.

Slowly, with courage and consistency, Rehaman continued.

For him, the real challenge was not just fighting addiction — it was understanding the people behind it.

“I don’t think about what children can learn from me,” he says.“Instead, I try to learn how I can improve their conditions by understanding their struggles better.”

This belief shapes the way he works. Especially when it comes to children under 18, who are more vulnerable to addiction and difficult circumstances, Rehmaan focuses on conversations, trust, and support rather than judgment.

He listens to children. He speaks with families. He tries to understand before trying to change anything.

Rehaman is also honest about his own journey.

He comes from a place where awareness is still limited, where society does not always understand the work he does, and where creating change often comes with resistance.

But those challenges have never stopped him.

They have only strengthened his commitment.

Looking back, Rehaman sees how much he has grown. The child who once needed support is now someone creating support systems for others.

His dreams are simple but powerful — to continue working deeply with communities and contribute towards building a better society.

For anyone who wants to create change, Rehaman shares one message:

“If you see something wrong happening around you, don’t ignore it. Take a stand against it. Work hard for the betterment of society. And try to give something back.”

Rehaman’s story is not only about transformation. It is about what happens when someone who once needed hope becomes someone who creates it for others.

Because sometimes, the strongest leaders are not the ones who were always ahead — but the ones who know what it feels like to find their own way.