From the Slums to Success: A Journey of Grit, Dreams, and Unshakable Faith

This post is for every young person out there who’s struggling, doubting, or feeling lost. I’m sharing my story today not to boast but to inspire, because if I can make it, then so can you. This is a journey from riding a bicycle on dusty village roads to sitting behind the wheel of a brand-new SUV, from growing up in a house built of struggle to building a beautiful home of my own.

Like many others born into poverty, I came from a place where no one had ever been educated. My family had nothing, not even hope. I still remember the day my father enrolled me in a government school. I was only four years old, but even then, I knew I wanted more. I cried and begged to go to school, which is rare for a child that age. That hunger for education was always in me, like a fire that wouldn’t go out.

Those days were tough. I cleaned the school’s dusty floors in the mornings and wrote on a “Takhti” with a “Qalam.” Simple moments, yet they laid the foundation of something bigger inside me. But life wasn’t ready to let me dream that easily. By the time I reached the 6th grade, my father, under pressure from our circumstances, sent me to a workshop—a "Mistri Khana"—to learn how to repair electric fans and washing machines. I worked there for four months, my heart heavy with longing for books, not tools.

Every night, I’d plead with my father, telling him I didn’t belong there. I promised him I would study harder than ever if he just let me go back to school. That fire inside me burned too bright to be dimmed. Eventually, he relented, and I returned to school, determined to make something of myself.

In the 8th grade, a new chapter began when I met a brilliant classmate named Muhammad Zubair Khaan . He had transferred from a private school, and I couldn’t help but admire his intelligence. He was everything I wanted to be, and that envy turned into determination. I told myself, "I will compete with him. I will not fall behind." That friendly competition was the spark that fueled my journey forward.

Despite the odds, I excelled in my studies. I earned a scholarship to a private college, a moment of triumph that felt like the world was finally opening up. But life in our village was still harsh. We had no electricity. I studied late into the night by the flickering light of a "Diva" (oil lamp). Every morning, I scrubbed my face to remove the soot that clung to my skin. But those long nights, that smoke—they were nothing compared to my hunger for education.

When I finished FSc, I aimed for something bigger—engineering. I studied like my life depended on it, passed the entrance exam with flying colors, and made it to the merit list. But when the time came to pay the admission fee, reality hit like a brick wall. We couldn’t afford it. PKR 23,000—such a small amount in the grand scheme of things, but it was an impossible number for my family. My dreams shattered in that moment.

I couldn’t give up, though. Giving up was never an option. So, I went back to what I knew—I picked up a sewing machine started sewing clothes to earn money for the next year’s admission. My best friend, Muhammad Zubair Khaan , supported me the whole way, even getting his family to bring me clothes to stitch. He offered me a loan, but my pride wouldn’t allow it. I couldn’t take money I hadn’t earned, no matter how desperate I was.

Through hard work, I saved enough to try again. I passed the entrance test a second time and got into university. But the struggle wasn’t over. I had no idea how I’d afford the next semester. Then I found out that if I secured the first position, I’d get a fee waiver. So, I pushed myself harder than ever, spending sleepless nights in the university lab, practicing coding from dawn until dusk because I couldn’t afford a computer of my own. I didn’t even have the money to print study materials like my classmates did. So, I spent hours copying notes by hand.

Somehow, by the grace of God, I not only survived but thrived. I earned a gold medal in my department, an achievement I couldn’t have even imagined as a child cleaning school floors. I brought my parents to the convocation, and the pride in their eyes made every hardship worthwhile.

But even then, the journey wasn’t easy. I applied for jobs and internships, only to be rejected time and time again. No one would even give me an unpaid internship. But I kept going, kept applying, until I finally landed a job at a game development company. That job was the turning point.

Along with my university friend Aftab Wahab , I worked with some of the most incredible people—people like Irfan Shah , Muhammad Hilal , Tahir Saddam , and Shehreyar Khan . Two years later, a group of us decided to take a leap of faith. We started our own business, adding more partners like Zaeem Qureshi , Zeeshan and ofc my one of the best Muhammad Zubair Khaan . With nothing but a dream and a tiny office, we built AptechMedia , a company that’s now known as one of the best in KP and Pakistan.

We achieved so much in those early months, more than we ever thought possible. We worked on groundbreaking projects, showcased our work on platforms like Google, and built a reputation we could be proud of.

There have been losses along the way—people I wish were still by my side. But we move forward, carrying the legacy of what we’ve built together. AptechMedia is our life’s work, the result of endless hours of struggle, sacrifice, and belief in something greater.

I am eternally grateful to everyone who has been a part of this journey: my parents, siblings, Muhammad Zubair Khaan , Irfan Shah , Aftab Wahab , Muhammad Hilal , Tahir Saddam , Zaeem Qureshi , Shehreyar Khan , Zeeshan, Abbas Khan (The chill guy), my teachers and mentors. Without your support, I wouldn’t be where I am today.

And to every young person out there, no matter where you come from, no matter how hard it gets—keep going. Your dreams are worth every sacrifice. If a boy from the slums, who studied under an oil lamp and sewed clothes to pay for his education, can make it, so can you.

Thank you for believing in me. And thank you, God, for guiding me through the darkest of times. This is only the beginning. The future is ours to build.

#Mentorship hashtag#Inspiration hashtag#Leadership hashtag#Achievement hashtag#CareerGrowth hashtag#AptechMedia