Love For Mathematics Spurs Disabled Teacher
Wheelchair-bound Iowane Hawaii’s love for Mathematics has spurred him to attain his scholarship to study for a Bachelor of Commerce degree.
Thursday 31 January 2019 | 21:00
Wheelchair-bound Iowane Hawaii’s love for Mathematics has spurred him to attain his scholarship to study for a Bachelor of Commerce degree.
The 28-year-old was among 30 recipients of the Australian Awards Pacific Scholarship (AAPS) who attended a briefing at the Australian High Commission in Tamavua, Suva, yesterday.
Mr Hawaii, who is from Nanumea, Tuvalu, received the AAPS to study for a Bachelor in Commerce and Management and Public Administration degree at the University of the South Pacific (USP).
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“Since 2011, I have been working as an assistant teacher at a special school for people with disabilities in Tuvalu,” he said.
“I had only studied until Foundation level at the University of the South Pacific and after I went back to Tuvalu, I started teaching Basic Mathematics.
“I love Mathematics, especially numbers and figures, and I want to become an economist.”
Mr Hawaii said most Tuvaluans with disabilities were restricted to only working in organisations for people with special needs.
“There are less chances of people with disabilities in the workforce,” he said.
“I believe my purpose is to break the barriers so the Government of Tuvalu knows that people with disabilities can help the country to prosper.
“I am very happy and I want to become a role model for people with disabilities for not only in Tuvalu, but also for the Pacific.”
He added his parents, especially his wife and two children, were happy and elated to hear the good news of his scholarship.
The Australia Awards are prestigious scholarships offered by the Australian Government to individuals who strive to be leaders in their respective fields and make a difference in their home country.
The awardees will study at the Fiji National University and the University of the South Pacific, in priority fields including Midwifery, Early Childhood Education and Care, Building, Quantity Surveying, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical and Automotive Engineering.
Edited by Epineri Vula
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