Javeed is a bright, energetic 20-year-old living in Sri Lanka. Hardships can’t defeat his resilient spirit – even though he has had a painful childhood, he still strives to reach his goals and succeed.
Tragically, Javeed never knew his mother; she died giving birth to him. Then, at the early age of 4, he faced another tragedy. His father passed away from complications caused by severe arthritis. With both parents gone, Javeed went to live with his grandmother, Seyamboo. She was elderly and very poor, but she gave Javeed all the care and love she could.
In 2006, the Sri Lankan government contacted CERI and told them about Javeed’s situation. When Javeed was 10, CERI began supporting him so he could focus more on his 5th grade studies and improve his grades. He soon rose to the top of his class. He worked tirelessly to keep his grades up, knowing academic excellence would be critical for him to succeed.
In May 2015, he faced another tragedy. His loving grandmother passed away and Javeed was heartbroken over the loss. However, he had to study to take his final GCE advanced level examination in August. His friends and CERI staff were concerned Javeed would lose focus on his studies while he was grieving for his beloved grandmother – but Javeed stayed focused and studied hard for his exam. His hard work and dedication were fruitful and he passed all three subjects of the advanced level exam. In fact, he scored so well on his exams that he was ranked 9th overall out of all students who took the exam in the district of Batticaloa.
He is now taking a course for the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants in a private institute, traveling to Colombo every weekend to attend the classes. This year, he will pursue a degree at the University of Sri Jayewardenepura.
“CERI is the main reason I have made it to this point. They have helped and supported me to grow and succeed. Looking back, I see many moments that I will cherish with CERI – moments that have been made possible by CERI. I come from a society that is full of uneducated people. If I didn’t have anyone there to help me, I could have become a destructive, lost child with no goals. At this moment, I really miss my grandmother who cared for me. But she has left me in good hands. CERI is there for me and helps me succeed. I want to thank my sponsor George Cowden and CERI. I will make all of you proud and please know that you share in all of my victories.” — Javeed Ahamed
