Abdul is from Dehradun and carries mountains in his heart. Coming from a small valley and a closed society, his exposure was low and recycled ideas like the only way to educate is to imbue a child with the fear of hurt (physical or emotional), and that women are supposed to be at home because the world outside is unsafe, men are not supposed to show emotions and so on, were pushed on him. And, nobody bothered to challenge his ideas. But as a young child, Abdul naturally questioned them, leading him to be branded as a "bad apple" in school and at home.

Engineering as a profession was pushed on him with a promise of a Government job. However, being a "bad student," it was impossible to get into a decent college, and his experiences led him far away from education and career aspirations, by the time graduation was over he came to believe that the education system favours only those who have a natural disposition toward academics and not "difficult children" like him.Years went by, and he kept himself far away from anything “education” until he got to know about the “Teach for India” fellowship. He got into the fellowship on the second try and it became a pivotal point in his life.

He found hope and now believes in a mantra that “if anything that can save the world, that’s education”. He has been in the sector for 5 years and plans to keep supporting and strengthening the institutions that are working towards the idea of education he is aligned with.

As a child Abdul used to wander around the forests of Dehradun, play cricket at odd times, and avoid people (something he still does). You would find him running a lot, either on the field or from studies.