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Monday 21 Apr 2025
LOCAL EDITION
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LOCAL EDITION
Former Maldivian president Ibrahim Mohamed Solih's brothers; Shayaz, Moosa and Shazly. (Photo/Blind and Visually Impaired Society of Maldives)
Nine visually impaired individuals beat the odds to attain their Master’s degree this week, overcoming daunting challenges and shattering the low academic expectations that the society often has of people with disabilities.
The nine were among students who graduated from the Islamic University of Maldives (IUM) on Thursday, attaining Master’s of Revealed Knowledge, Leadership and Administration. They are:
Among these nine individuals are three younger brothers of former Maldivian president Ibrahim Mohamed Solih; Shayaz, Moosa and Shazly.
The three brothers, along with Abdul Rasheed, are huffaz. And all nine, except for Julood, serve as officials at Blind and Visually Impaired Society of Maldives (BVISM). This includes the BVISM’s president, Hussain Shareef.
The proud nine graduates are from a generation that was denied basic education due to their disabilities.
But this did not deter them from their path to gain education, a right that is now enshrined in the Constitution.
“This was truly very challenging,” said Hussain Shareef. “Behind this [success] lies a lot of hurdles and also a lot of people who supported us.”
He described how disheartening it was to be denied the opportunity to go to school, growing up.
“We did not get any basic education. That was something that was very disheartening growing up. We were denied the opportunity to go to school. But we had this goal that we will gain whatever education we can, one day,” he said.
That opportunity came in 2017, when they got the chance to do an advanced diploma at the Maldives National University (MNU).
They made full use of this narrow path that opened up for them, going on to join the IUM to continue their education. They completed their Bachelor’s degree in 2020, and have now completed their Master’s.
Hussain Shareef described the challenges they faced on this journey.
“Because the lack of material available to us, where audio or otherwise, we were often forced to seek help from different people to learn lessons or study for tests, by having someone record lectures or have someone narrate to us. We faced a lot, and I mean a lot of such challenges,” he stressed.
He hopes their efforts and the courage they showed will inspire other people with disabilities to strengthen their resolve and pursue education.
He also hopes that relevant authorities and institutions will acknowledge their efforts and address the issues they need to, in order to ensure inclusivity within the Maldivian education system.
“We hope that our efforts and the courage we showed will inspire other people with disabilities to strengthen their resolve, and that In Sha Allah, they will not have to go through the difficulties we experienced,” he said. “It is our pray that our future generations do not have to share our experience.”
He thanked everyone who supported him on his educational journey, including his parents, family, fellow students, lecturers, and everyone who helped them in various ways.
“Thank you so such,” he said.
His mother expressed pride at her son’s success.
“Praise be to Allah. I am so happy. I am very happy with my son’s success,” she said.
The struggle of the nine students in successfully attaining their Master’s degree serve as an inspiration to others. It also highlights the need to reform the education system to promote greater inclusivity.
