Overlooked by Media, Celebrated by Millions: How Wali Rahmani’s Social Media Campaign Built a World-Class School
At just 26, Wali Rahmani raised Rs 10 crores through social media and built a world-class school in one year, yet his groundbreaking work for orphans and underprivileged children remains overlooked by mainstream media
Kolkata: The year he became a law graduate, his dream job at a world-class educational institution was also realized. There was no legacy to follow. It took him 5 years to complete the law course, but this international-level infrastructure took shape within just a year. In 365 days, he not only collected Rs 10 crores from the public but also used it to build a modern school with hostels for the poor kids. When he shared the story on social media a fortnight ago, it garnered 20 million views. This 26-year-old young man is none other than Wali Rahmani.
During his teenage years and while studying, Rahmani started his Umeed Academy with three underprivileged kids in 2017.
The law graduate from Jamia Hamdard University’s achievement might be one of the rarest in the world. But it seems to have not received enough attention from the mainstream Indian media, where you will rarely find his story, with only a few exceptions.
“At present, 350 children are studying at Umeed Global School. While most of them are underprivileged, more than 30 are orphans. Most of the students stay in the hostel. When we had no hostel facility, our students were already following a 12-hour schedule, from 7 am to 7 pm, staying in the academy. As we aim to make them future leaders, without making them feel that they are from weaker sections of society, we not only provide the best education but also focus on their health and extracurricular activities,” Rahmani informed eNewsroom.
Umeed Global School Founder’s September 15 video on YouTube
Best Use of Social Media
In India, social media is mostly used to spread hatred or to earn money through bizarre activities. Young Rahmani, understanding the power of social media as early as the time when he was in Standard 12, used it positively. Almost eight years ago, when most people in India were still unfamiliar with the power of YouTube videos, he uploaded his first video on his channel. The gifted orator soon became a young sensation, with Rahmani’s videos garnering millions of views. During that time, he adopted underprivileged kids and started using the money he earned from YouTube to support them. He also gained a large following on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Through these platforms, he connected with donors for his Umeed Academy. After a few years, he received a piece of land as a donation for Umeed Global School. Rahmani once again utilized social media cleverly, asking only for Rs 100 from everyone. He encouraged his followers to share his video with one million people, from whom Rs 100 could be collected, thereby raising Rs 10 crores.
“And it happened! Within 7 days, I had Rs 7 crores. When the school project was nearing completion, I again requested people to help build the hostels, and once more, our donors chipped in,” Rahmani shared excitedly.
An Academy for All
The academy has students from various backgrounds, non-Muslim kids as well as teachers, administrators, and staff from communities other than Muslims.
“We believe in providing better education and life to everyone. Yes, since we are more connected with our community and the academy is situated in a minority-dominated area, we have a higher number of Muslim students,” Rahmani clarified.
“Dean of Academics, Rinku Bhattacharya; General Manager, Abhishek Mukherjee; and architect Subrato Mondal played important roles in the journey from Umeed Academy to Umeed Global School. We have such dedicated people for our cause that, while it might sound unbelievable, two trustee members- Saifuddin Perwez and Mohammed Yakoob, left all their other work for one year to complete this state-of-the-art project within a year. We must show our donors that their hard-earned money is being used in a well-planned and honest manner, and our entire school management team helped make this a reality. It also allowed our students to study in a world-class school environment,” Rahmani mentioned.
The school provides everything—books, uniforms, and meals for every student. it has smart classrooms, well equipped computer lab, the school has Innovation and Technology Lab. In this lab, students learn Robotics, Drone making, Coding, Artificial Intelligence, and Designing.
The dedication of the team is reflected in their results: for three consecutive years, Umeed students have become state kickboxing champions. This year, 13 students of Umeed Global got medals.
Whenever a young sportsperson or youth achieves something rare, people and the media often ask what others were doing at that age. In such instances, young Rahmani provides a perfect answer—his achievement is not only personal success but also for the benefit of society and the underprivileged children of India.
The kids lovingly call him Abbaji (father figure). And who better deserves such a respectable title?
