When we think of helping underprivileged people, it mostly comes in a worldly form. But we often forget the best form of the present is providing the person with the chance to create more opportunities. Like it is said that “Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.” When you provide someone with the opportunity to receive the light of education, it enables them to create a life for themselves and uplift an entire generation. Some people are silently working towards elevating these children from descending into the harsh reality of poverty by helping them with education.
The wonder boy, Lelin Ahmed from JAAGO Foundation, came from such a situation and fought against poverty with the help of education. Throughout this journey, the guardian angel beside Lelin is his sponsored parent, Mr Russell Syed. He has been sponsoring Lelin for a long time. Despite living abroad, Mr Russell has constantly supported Lelin with his education. He believes that education is the best form of helping others. Mr Russell has always been a knock away for his sponsored child throughout the journey. He was looking out for any chance to smoother the journey of education for Lelin. Before joining school Lelin’s dream was to become a rickshaw-puller. Since his family was highly impoverished, that was all he could think of becoming. Then, as he started studying, his dream changed. Now he wants to become successful in his field. Lelin’s sponsored parent is delighted to see how Lenin has evolved from a child to a hard-working goal-driven young man. Lelin has recently got admission into one of the country’s most prestigious higher studies institutions, BUP (Bangladesh University of Professionals). The joy of seeing his remarkable achievements is indescribable for a guardian angel. It is only a matter of time now that the world will witness more accomplishments from Lelin in the years to come.
When asked about the sponsorship journey, Mr Russell Syed shared, ‘’I always wanted to do something constructive in memory of my parents. I received various help from so many known and unknown sources throughout my life. This is also another way of passing it on. Helping others is a joy and helping them with their education is the best form. Education is nothing but our ability to understand the complex world around us. It feels good to know that I have a tiny contribution to others’ march to their dreams.’’
