Ashik’s Story

Ashik came to Bangalore after completing a degree in Journalism. However, he never imagined that he could build a livelihood out of it. After arriving in the city, he worked in a hotel as a waiter for some time and was then introduced to the Journalism Course in Baduku Community College.

The Journalism course changed my life completely. It was here that pursuing journalism as a career became a dream as well as a reality. I had several apprehensions and anxieties about the profession, but the course helped me overcome these. The course and the college has taught me how to live. I have experienced happiness, sadness and conflict in Baduku. My experiences here have taught me so many things – that education is not about syllabus and textbooks and marks that you get in exams, but about how we build ourselves and our personalities. The course helped me build a mirror inside me that constantly keeps me aware of things. I look inside this mirror and remind myself to love myself. A course like this gives boys like me, who come from a Muslim community and are always viewed with suspicion, the courage to stand up and not be weakened by anything. Today, as a journalist, I have overcome several challenges. I continue to face challenges on a daily basis but I have blossomed in such a way that I can face all those who try to suppress me. I have now gained considerable experience in Visual media and am currently working as an independent journalist. I will soon be launching my own online platform as well.