Shazia Masood
Shahid-Ul-Islam Bhat,17, a young teenager is so ambitious that he transforms trash into artistic toys. He also aspires to become an engineer.
Turning trash into art is not everybody’s cup of tea. When tens and hundreds of broken plastic toys are thrown away in dust bins, this teenager is doing the opposite and is turning waste into toys for the sustainable approach.
Shahid ul Islam hails from Thokar Pora, Pulwama. With his creative thinking and presence of mind, he is making toy trucks and cars out of the trash.
Having a deep love of vehicles, Shahid is using old plastic bottles, bottle caps, steel and wood to reuse them in toy trucks, cars and some casper toys.
“As a child I used to make toys and play with them for the whole day,” Shahid while recalling the childhood days said.
“Using trash to make toys, the skill is improving by the grace of Almighty and in future I will modify them by inserting motors and batteries so that they can run too,” he told Kashmir Despatch.
Shahid while talking with Kashmir Despatch said that he is in a continous process of making new toys but the demand is increasing with every single day.
“Recently, I got an offer from an army major for the Casper army vehicle which I have made from the trash. The demand for new toys is increasing day by day and it makes me happy” says Bhat.
He says that by reusing the waste plastic bottles into toys not only can we save the environment but the utilisation of waste plastic to produce new products is an environment-friendly option and a profitable business also.
Different people defines success differently. Shahid’s success is when he completes a toy forming and when he comes up with different ideas for making unique toys.
“Success automatically becomes our fate when we are passionate about a certain thing. While playing with the toys I noticed the structure, shape and curves which i tried in my own toys of wood and this way a copy of the toy is created,” he says.
A class 11th student, Shahid has not learned this skill anywhere. He makes these toys in his free time giving first priority to his studies. A son of a labourer who believes that he can make quality toys if he could buy equipment and is appealing government to support him.
“I lack equipment like motors and batteries for the toys. I request government to support me for buying equipment for new products,” says Shahid.
