British-Pakistani railway worker awarded MBE for saving 29 lives

LONDON: Rizwan Javed, an exceptional British Pakistani rail worker who has saved 29 people from attempting suicide since 2015, has been appointed an MBE.

Rizwan Javed, residing in Leyton in east London, is employed by the MTR Elizabeth line at Ealing Broadway and Paddington stations. Through his vigilance and compassionate approach towards challenging situations, he has effectively prevented numerous individuals from taking their own lives at the platforms.

Having joined the railway approximately 10 years ago, Rizwan Javed underwent the Samaritans training course early in his career.

In an interview with Geo News, he expressed gratitude, saying, «I am thankful to Allah for this honour. It’s all due to the prayers of my parents that I have been recognised on the King’s New Year›s Honours List. It’s a huge honour for me that my work in the mental health area has been recognised in this way.»

He credited his training with the Samaritans for equipping him with the skills to identify and engage with vulnerable individuals. «With the Samaritans, I learned how to identify vulnerable people, what sort of conversations to have with them, how to engage them, how to look out, and how to take them to a point of safety,» he said.

Within the first week of his railway employment, Rizwan Javed successfully intervened to prevent someone from attempting suicide.

In 2019, he received the Samaritans Lifesaver Award for his exceptional use of talking and listening skills to save lives.

Expressing his belief in divine reward, Rizwan Javed said: «I believe that Allah will always reward me for helping others and being there for those who have no one else to talk to or are undergoing difficulties.» He acknowledged his Pakistani parents for instilling in him the values of being helpful and charitable from a young age.

Recalling a poignant incident, he mentioned helping a distressed girl in her mid-20s who later approached him with gratitude, affirming that she wouldn›t be alive today if he hadn›t intervened and convinced her that life was worth living.

Highlighting the lack of education about mental health issues, Rizwan Javed emphasised the impact of such issues on individuals. He and his parents were thrilled upon receiving the government letter informing him of his appointment as an MBE for his services.

Rizwan emphasised that various signs, such as facial expressions, clothing choices in relation to weather conditions, missing a train, acting strangely, being wayward, and inquiring about non-stopping services, indicate when a person requires help. Stressing that mental health issues affect all communities, he urged the allocation of more resources to tackle these issues.

The Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE) is the third-highest ranking level of the Order of the British Empire, following CBE and then OBE.