Ameer Keshavjee
Sitting at his favourite coffee shop in northwest Calgary, Ameer Keshavjee is constantly hailed by other patrons. He’s as much a fixture there as the tables and chairs.
It’s one of his “offices” in the city, the places where Keshavjee welcomes high school students to talk about what they need to do to succeed. Because of his work, Keshavjee was in October presented with the Sovereign’s Medal for volunteers — the highest Canadian honour for volunteer service.
“To serve one’s community is a duty. You don’t need accolades for that,” he said. “For me, it’s a gracious gift from Her Majesty the Queen through the Governor General. It means a lot to me because, with that, I might be able to move my program at a faster rate. It gives me a second wind.”
Keshavjee came to Calgary from South Africa in 1974. Over the past 32 years, he has helped thousands of youths worldwide realize their dreams.
“My mission in life is to reach as many marginalized students as possible, for the simple reason that they are voiceless, struggling,” he said. “We need to ignite that spark of hope. I ask them, ‘Where are you right now, where do you wish to go, and how do you propose to get there?’”
Keshavjee highlights the number of scholarships that are readily available. He hands out a plan of action, a form that lists important steps for applying at a post-secondary institution: things such as grade upkeep, volunteering and how to write a resume.
“All I’m doing is showing them the way,” he said. “We are all our brother’s keeper. They ask me: ‘Why do you do this for free?’ I want everyone’s children to have the opportunity to prepare themselves in a knowledge-based society. A high school diploma isn’t enough.”
Keshavjee dreams of higher education becoming a basic human right around the world. To that end, he’s written a letter to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres outlining his desires.
“I know it’s a tall order,” he said, “but maybe someone will pick up on it and run with the ball.”