By Ruvini Jayasinghe
Her career choices as a schoolgirl were an early indication of her uninhibited aspirations and unrestrained, compelling ambition. “I had four career aspirations initially: The Sri Lanka Army, the CID, lawyer or a journalist!” said the incumbent Country Manager, for CIMA in Sri Lanka, Ms. Zahara Ansary with a beaming smile, recounting her journey thus far. Tipping the scales on an overload of courage, energy, vitality, enthusiasm and pure self-confidence, an effervescent Zahara says she never saw herself in the typical traditional conservative role of a girl of her Muslim community.
“I was definitely an energetic child,” she admits with gleeful reminiscence, adding that she is thankful to her parents for giving her the freedom to develop her natural exuberant self. But the full credit for the sheer courage to break through it all is entirely Zahara’s.
Zahara’s exuberance and verve are contagious, sparking flames in those who interact with her as well. As Zahara spoke with the uncanny precision of a formidable memory, unfolding her life events from early childhood and school, to her higher education and career, it was like turning the pages of a thriller novel which ends in a spellbinding finish.
Born into an unpretentious, middle-class family, Zahara makes no pretense of the simple, down to earth life of a schoolgirl at Buddhist Ladies College (BLC) which later was transformed into having an international school section, where the medium of instruction changed from Sinhala to English.
A strange choice of school for her parents to make but young Zahara had no regrets about the choice of school as her buoyant nature threw itself into all extracurricular activities as well as studies, at BLC. The family spoke Sinhala at home which she considers as a definite advantage that has helped her throughout her life……………………………….
Read BMD March 2021…