The Village Healer

In Kashmir's remote hamlet, Zahoor Hussain Hakeem turns hardship into hope, healing bodies and inspiring minds with relentless grit.

- Gowher Bhat

A hundred kilometers from Srinagar, Zahoor Hussain Hakeem is quietly transforming a forgotten village. Dewalgam, nestled in misty Kokernag, has long been a place marked by isolation and hardship. But at 40, Zahoor has become its beacon of hope, defying the odds that once held him back.

Zahoor's story began at 15, when his father sent him to Srinagar to ease the family's financial burdens. Working as a servant for a wealthy man, Zahoor earned just enough to survive.

Yet, despite the hard labour, he found time to study. His late nights were fuelled by philosophy, literature, and Urdu poetry. It was through this self-discipline that he earned a degree in Political Science and a teaching credential, both with top marks.

After completing his studies, Zahoor set his sights on a teaching career, but fell just short on the National Eligibility Test. Disheartened, he returned to Dewalgam but refused to give in to failure.