A TEEN girl drowned while on a holiday celebrating her A Levels as her family paid tribute.
Afaf Ahmed, 18, was described as “beautiful, bright and talented” by her devastated mum Dr Hanan Abdelaziz.
Afaf Ahmed, 18, drowned while on a holiday celebrating her A LevelsCoventryLive/BPM
Her mum Dr Hanan Abdelaziz described her as ‘beautiful, bright and talented’CoventryLive/BPM
The teenager tragically drowned after getting caught in choppy waters while away with friends after her proud mum took them to Holland as a treat.
Afaf died in August while swimming with friends off the Zuidelijk Havenhoofd, near The Hague.
Since seeing the tragic incident unfold, the Coventry GP has been trying to come to terms with the fact her only child’s life was cut short so abruptly.
“She was a beautiful person, both inside and out,” Dr Abdelaziz told CoventryLive.
“I raised her as a single parent to be kind and brave and strong, and she was all of those things and more.
“She was my best friend, my soulmate, and living without her is so hard.
“She was a talented dancer, pianist, and guitarist. She was a beautiful singer and could hit all the high notes in the choir.
“She loved to help children, she even taught dance for free. She touched so many people’s lives and cared so much for others.”
Having passed her A Levels, Afaf was getting ready to take up a place studying biomedical sciences at Liverpool University, with plans to eventually study dentistry.
Her mum said she worked hard taking extra tutelage outside of school hours to make sure she was on the path to success.
She was a much-loved pupil at King Henry VIII school touching the lives of her classmates and teachers.
Her role as a prefect made her an ideal advocate for encouraging new enrolees.
The school described her as “a shining star” when she died and have since planted a tree on the grounds in her honour.
After taking time to grieve privately, Dr Abdelaziz began looking for ways to make sure her daughter’s legacy would live on.
“I always taught my daughter to be a strong woman, a good human being and to be resilient,” Dr Abdelaziz said:
“I can not let her down, I have to try and be all the things she was. I am so very, very sad but I’m so proud of the woman Afaf was turning into.”
To cement her daughter’s legacy, Dr Abdelaziz has created a charity, Afaf Above the Water, inspired poignantly by the last moment she saw Afaf alive.
To mirror her daughter’s selfless approach to life, Afaf Above the Water will serve people in need both here in Coventry but also in the wider world.
The aims include helping orphans worldwide with their essential daily needs so they can live a dignified life, provision of the essential items for basic standard of living and constructing clean water resources to ensure access to clean, safe drinking water in areas of need worldwide.
It will also help individuals suffering from financial difficulties to cover the cost to help their children to access essential life needs, while also working with governmental and non-governmental organisations and charities worldwide to help the members of the public access the required health education raise their awareness.
Closer to home, the charity will work with Coventry City Council and relevant authorities to keep the city bright, clean and welcoming.
It will also look to facilitate volunteering to help in various bereavement situations and to help patients suffering from cancer and chronic illnesses at their homes, hospitals and hospices.
It will also work in the community to help elderly people with their daily needs and alleviate the suffering of loneliness.
The charity, which was set up in December, has events coming up which are open to the public.
On Friday 28 March at the Salvation Army, Harnall Lifehouse on Harnall Lane West, Afaf Above the Water will host a creative day open to all ages which will consist of art, colouring, painting, games and technology lessons. This will run between 1pm and 4pm.
Meanwhile a dance and performance extravaganza will take place at The Albany Theatre in Afaf’s memory on March 31.
Aqua, put on by family and friends and staff members at Pattison College where Afaf studied, will feature dozens of performance from dance schools across Coventry, as well as a former Pattison student who now performs in the West End.
In what will be an emotionally charged evening, Dr Abdelaziz will also take part in some of the dances.
“Afaf would put a smile on anyone’s face she met, she was a beautiful person, and my heart is still breaking,” Dr Abdelaziz said.
“But I’m determined to keep her memory alive, to tell the world about who she was, and to celebrate the wonderful person she was.”
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