Winning with Steely Determination
- Mohd Huzaire Ahmad
One of the 5,000 graduates at the 26th OUM Convocation in 2022 was Mohd Huzaire Ahmad, 46, a school teacher at SK Felda Mempaga 2 in Pahang.
A fall from a rambutan tree at his fiance’s house in Perak in 1999 had confined him to a wheelchair. “I had been in the final semester of my studies at a teachers’ training college. At 24, I became paralysed from the waist down, my fiancé left me, and I lost my chance to become a teacher.”
Two years later, the skies brightened for Huzaire when he was given a chance to do his practicum. He went on to become music teacher and even obtained a bachelor’s degree in primary school music education. Challenges continued to come and Huzaire continued to overcome them, with his wife by his side.
“She is an administrative assistant at the school where I teach. Each school day, she would carry my wheelchair while I would go up the stairs on my own. I didn’t want to burden anyone else.”
As a person with disabilities (PWD), Huzaire is not immune from discrimination and disrespect. “I felt unappreciated at work, so my wife encouraged me to do my master’s. I enrolled in the Master of Education programme at OUM in 2020.”
The learning environment suited him well. “Because of the Covid-19 pandemic, I attended only three face-to-face classes before all the classes were shifted online. So, I didn’t have to worry about how to get to classes anymore. The discounted study fees for PWDs, flexible mode of learning, easy-to-understand courses, and friendly and fast-to-act staff also helped a lot.”
In his 20 years as a teacher, Huzaire has won 13 awards. In May 2022, he was one of 25 teachers nationwide who won Anugerah Guru Inspirasi McDonald’s 2022, which honours teachers who go beyond their call of duty. Huzaire has also written three anthologies and is in the midst of writing a motivational book based on his life experiences.
“This master’s is not the end of my education. I plan to do a PhD next, also at OUM. Education is a weapon for PWDs. We are always being looked down upon by some members of society. When we study more, we will be respected and valued more.”
