Suleman Sohail quietly started collecting money for a food drive in mid-March. The idea was simple: feed people in the Twin Cities by collecting money through online donations. However, the difference lay in his ideology. He spoke about reuniting Gen-Z and challenging the colonial mindsets that continue to shape public thinking while advocating for women’s empowerment not just in rhetoric but in practice. But these are by no means new ideas, and he is not the only man on Instagram doing food drives and making endless reels on them, so the question is, what sets this man apart from the rest?
It is no secret that social media has changed the trajectory of how philanthropy is conducted in modern times. Gone are the days when people were asked to donate in person, and physical labor was required to gather resources, as seen in the model of Abdul Sattar Edhi. Today, it is about posting reels with thousands of views and a charismatic individual using their voice and iPhone to get the youth to listen.
Therefore, to measure the impact of such acts, one must look beyond visibility and focus on outcomes and consistency. If it is becoming easier to mobilize support, will it still be sustained with the same passion, or will it be treated as a passing hobby, shaped by trends that change every week?
And why is the responsibility to step up resting on the shoulders of an individual? The gap between those who help and those who need help continues to increase so drastically that the proper channels meant to provide such support are falling short. Or are these institutions simply failing to fulfill the tasks they were intended for? As a result, Gen-Z increasingly feels responsible for filling the absence they encounter in society every day. But this vacuum not only increases initiative among this younger generation; it also exposes the shortcomings of institutional responsibility.
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The culture of one-minute reels continues to dominate our “For You” pages, but it is about time we take a deeper look at who is only words and who chooses to translate them into meaningful action. That is where Suleman stands out. He shifts his focus from saying to doing—starting with a single call for donations, raising nearly 2 million rupees within days, and feeding over 1,000 people.
Ramazan food drives are a familiar culture in our society, but sustaining that effort beyond the month requires thoughtfulness. It demands recognition that hunger is not seasonal and that people do not go to sleep hungry for just one month but every single day. The shift is visible: it is no longer just about visibility but about impact. And if that change begins with one individual, then so be it.
We live in a society where women are often more attuned to the suffering of others, yet the space available for them to participate in change is constrained by unsafe environments and persistent disrespect. The stance Suleman takes in addressing this goes beyond simply involving volunteers in a drive. It reflects a deeper understanding of the fact that meaningful change requires creating spaces where women can participate freely and equally. Women are not only recipients of help; they are equally capable of being the ones who provide it. This shift is not merely societal; it is ideological.
The model presented here is not one of scale, nor does it place responsibility solely on the shoulders of a single individual. Instead, it is a model that can be replicated by countless others who have the means to use their audiences and translate intent into action. In doing so, it offers a pathway to reshape societal narratives through tangible, consistent change.
Would this have been possible without social media? Unlikely. But can others use the same platforms to create a broader network of changemakers? Quite possibly. Instagram may serve as the medium, but the impact lies in how it is used. For Gen-Z, this represents more than just visibility; it is an opportunity to redefine agency, to turn expression into action, and to shape change on their own terms. What sets Suleman apart is not the novelty of his ideas, but what he chooses to do with them. Whether this effort proves to be momentary or sustained remains to be seen.