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Eric Rajah AOE, MSM | |
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| Born | 12 January 1958 |
| Education | Canadian Union College (BTh) |
| Occupation(s) | Advanced Systems (President and owner) |
| Organization(s) | A Better World (President and co-founder) |
| Spouse | Candyce Schafer |
| Children | 2 |
Eric Rajah (born January 12, 1958) is a Sri Lankan-born Canadian businessman and humanitarian based in Lacombe, Alberta.
Eric Rajah was born in Jaffna, Sri Lanka, on January 12, 1958, as the eldest of three sons to M. S. and Florence Rajah. In 1974, he and his mother and brothers moved to Vancouver, Canada, to join his father, who had immigrated earlier. [1]
Rajah graduated from Winston Churchill High School in Vancouver in 1976. He then enrolled in the business program at the University of British Columbia. In 1978, he transferred to Canadian Union College (CUC)—now Burman University—in Lacombe, Alberta. [1] He graduated with a Bachelor of Theology in 1981. [2]
After graduating from college, Rajah served as the student finance officer at CUC and later worked in Red Deer as an accountant aiming to qualify as a chartered accountant. He then decided to start a business combining his interest in computers with face-to-face communication between colleagues and customers, creating a company that addressed both areas. [1]
Rajah launched his business venture, 'The Computer Training Centre Inc' (CTC), in 1986, providing training on computer operating systems and business software. Five years later, CTC became Advanced Systems (AS), with offices in central Alberta. AS provides IT training, hardware, network equipment, software, service, and support for businesses and non-profit organizations. AS is currently located in Lacombe and Red Deer, Alberta. [3]
In 1990, Rajah co-founded A Better World (ABW), an organization focused on supporting development in developing countries. [4] Its first project was to design and develop a physiotherapy centre for young polio victims in Kendu Bay, Kenya. [5]
After becoming a Canadian citizen in 1985, Rajah married Candyce Schafer of Lacombe. [1] They have two sons, Brenden and Jaden. [6] He is a member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. [4]
Rajah was inducted into the Alberta Order of Excellence (AOE) in 2011. The AOE is a civilian award for merit in the Province of Alberta, instituted in 1979. The AOE citation described Rajah as the "compassionate co-founder and motivating force behind A Better World, an Alberta-based, volunteer-run aid organization" and stated that "thanks to Eric's thoughtful leadership the organization has delivered invaluable, life-changing support to people in need around the world." [1] [6]
The Alberta Order of Excellence is described as "the highest honour the province of Alberta can bestow on a citizen" and was established "to accord recognition to those persons who have rendered service of the greatest distinction and of singular excellence for or on behalf of the residents of Alberta." [7]
In 2021, Rajah and Leavitt were announced as recipients of the Meritorious Service Medal (Civil Division) [MSM] from the Governor General of Canada for founding ABW Canada, an organisation "that invests in sustainable solutions to poverty in developing countries" [8] and "tackles poverty in some of the world's most disadvantaged regions." [9] Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Rajah and Leavitt did not officially receive the MSM until May 2024. [10] [11]
The award recognizes "great Canadians for exceptional deeds accomplished over a limited period of time that bring honour" to Canada through their "remarkable contributions in many different fields of endeavour, from advocacy initiatives and health care services, to research and humanitarian efforts." [12]
As a member of the AOE, Rajah automatically received the Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee Medal in 2022, awarded to 7,000 Albertans recognized for "significant contributions to the province." [13]
Rajah was named a Rotary Foundation Paul Harris Fellow in 2004 and was one of the fifty Champions of Change finalists for the CBC and Outpost Magazine in 2010. [6] [14]
In May 2014, Andrews University in Michigan conferred the honorary Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) degree on Rajah. The university stated this was in recognition of his "lifelong, exemplary and admirable commitment to the betterment of life for many disadvantaged children and young people around the world." He was also the commencement speaker for two of the university's graduation ceremonies. [15] [16] [17]
