He has been through the worst of situations in his life, but 29-year-old Muhammed Yaseen of Koorkkapparamba in Palakkad didn’t give up his fight to come up in life. Overcoming several hardships, working as a newspaper delivery boy at the age of seven to a food delivery worker in Kochi while pursuing his LLB studies, Yaseen has now become a Magistrate after securing second rank in the Kerala Judicial Service Examination.
Brought up by a single mother, an ASHA worker, after his father abandoned the family, Yaseen and his younger brother had to face a lot of neglect and societal insults from a young age. To support his mother in running the family, Yaseen took up different odd jobs from the age of seven. From being a newspaper boy to a milk supplier, painter, construction worker, and food delivery boy, Yaseen had taken on several roles to feed the family and to raise money for his education.
“As a child raised by a single mom, we often had to endure insulting comments from society, claiming we weren’t raised well. In school, I was always teased for being below average and was constantly pushed out of class for underperformance. The insults and harsh circumstances made me strong enough to bounce back in my life,” Yaseen told Open Digest.
After completing his BA in Public Administration and a diploma in Electronics, Yaseen joined Ernakulam Government Law College in 2019. He worked as a delivery boy for a food delivery app at night to raise money to pursue his LLB studies.
The heavy work schedule as a delivery boy in Kochi did not have any impact on his studies. He came top in the class in all semesters despite studying in a Malayalam medium school.
“I studied using second-hand books and wore used clothes given by others. My meals were from rice donated by a local mosque. I am deeply grateful to everyone who supported me, including my senior lawyer Shahul Hameed, who took me as a junior,” Yaseen said.
Yaseen enrolled as a lawyer in March 2023 and won appreciation from many senior lawyers after winning the Outstanding Lawyer Award in his first year of practice. His determination to come up in life gave him the strength to prepare for the judicial services examination and secure second rank to become a magistrate.
“I don’t think I’ve reached my final destination. Life is organic; it should evolve. But one thing I know for sure—today is more beautiful than yesterday. By embracing the power of positivity and holding a position of authority where I can serve justice, I will always be a representative of the oppressed classes to which I belong. Who could serve them better than someone who has lived through those very circumstances?” Yaseen said.
