A deluge of appreciation messages from eminent political figures, researchers, family and friends in New Zealand as well as back home in India, the story being shared on many walls, media coverage of the accolade even in the New Zealand Herald – the glitz and glamour sums up the past few days for me. However, lesser known to many is the path that I trod to find myself where I am today.
Thinking retrospectively, a mere seven years back I was a totally different version of the confident, ever-smiling person that people know of today. I was this single mother of two little boys aged six and barely two-years staring blankly at a future that looked nothing but hazy and grey. All I seemingly had when I set out to face life alone with them was a deeply wounded heart, an irreparably damaged self-respect and a professional degree which I had hardly made use of over half a decade of graduating from the dental school. But with the amaranthine blessings of the Almighty, quite contrary to what is usually stereotyped of the community that I hail from, my family showed me the true face of the faith that we believe in. They accepted and supported us with open arms despite me bringing along all the inglorious baggage linked to the tabooed phenomenon of a divorce. At a point when even survival seemed a colossal challenge, the iron-lady of my life who had given birth to me once gave me a re-birth by persuading me to get back to my profession.The turning point was when I emerged from the cocoon to pursue a Master’s degree in my favourite branch of dentistry andsubsequently realised my full potential as the person I was crafted to be. Despite people accusing my mother of taking the ‘wrong’ decision of sending me off to study (which they believed I would never complete), I graduated as the second topper in the Kerala University of Health Sciences bagging two national awards along my postgraduation journey. In another couple of years, I made up my mind to move abroad, thanks to the many hassles I faced in the society as a divorcee and a single mother. There again, I am deeply indebted to my parents who might not have been convinced with my ideas but showed valour by supporting me instead of trying to clip my wings to adhere to what they would have preferred for me.
I moved to New Zealand in early 2020. I completed my second Masters with a Distinction and an Outstanding Achievement certificate from the School of Health Science, Hawke’s Bay. During the period I was actively involved in various community programmes and also volunteered with organizations like Volunteering Hawke’s Bay, Habitat for Humanity, Red Cross and the Riding for Disabled Association. Taking all these aspects into consideration, the prestigious Best Asian Tertiary Student Award was conferred upon me during the Asians in the Bay award ceremony earlier this week. It was an added honour since it was the first time in the 10-year history of the awards that a Muslim student won the award.
To each girl out there I would like to pass on few messages. I have come a long way, but even today I am not without flaws. Certain things from my past have been so damaging to me that I doubt I will outlive those. But, that does not put a pause on my life. Everyone has the power and spark in them to face challenges. One of my favourite verses from the Holy Qur’an states that ‘The Almighty does not burden a soul beyond that it can bear’. I also cherish the conceptof life being compared to the arrow that is pulled backward in order to be launched into a greater distance. So, when life is dragging you back with difficulties, it means that it’s going to launch you into something great. Focus, have faith and aim for the stars…
- Sajeela Ismail