Imagine being able to run freely, without being able to see.
One man in Malaysia – who teaches visually-impaired students – built an assistive frame so that his students need not put their hands on his shoulder while running and navigating.
In a viral video posted last Thursday (Sept 2), Cikgu Azam, as he is known on TikTok, showed an earlier version of this frame with his student Alisya running freely in the school carpark.
@cguazam Ramai tanya ttg versi awal.Sebijik mcm trolley pasaraya 😂.Tapi Alisya waktu ni gembira sgt sebab 1st time lari xperlu pegang bahu cikgu @ guna tali. ♬ original sound – K H A I
“It is exactly like a supermarket trolley,” he said with a laugh in the post, adding that his student was thrilled to run without holding onto his shoulder or using a rope.
The video garnered over 700,000 views with almost 2,000 comments praising his dedication as a teacher.
Cikgu Azam, or Wan Muadzam Wan Abidin, is a physical education teacher at Sekolah Kebangsaan Klang as reported in Malaysian publication Harian Metro.
Image source: Screengrab from TikTok / cguazam
“I get tired now when training my students because they have to run between 1km and 5km every practice. If there are three students, I will have to run with all three of them,” he told the daily, and added that he is getting older and can’t keep up at times.
Alisya’s wish to participate in a 5km fun run thus inspired Cikgu Azam to create the first prototype of the Caballus RAFVI (Running Aid For the Visually Impaired). The frame was constructed out of PVC pipes and joint connectors, paid for out of his own pocket as reported in the daily.
@cguazam This is my inovation project.Special to assist my blind student for their running.. 😁😁😁 Berjaya habiskan 5km last year.Bangga cikgu ♬ original sound – HRC IWAN🇮🇩 – IWAN🇮🇩
In another TikTok video posted on Aug 28, he shared a clip of Alisya at the event, and wrote that seeing his student complete the 5km run made him a “proud teacher”.
Recognition from local education department
Aside from positive comments on the Internet, Cikgu Azman has also been commended by the Selangor State Education Department for his invention as reported in Harian Metro.
He has also won an innovation award in a competition organised by the Teachers’ Training Institute from Miri, Sarawak.
“The positive feedback certainly inspires me to produce more creations as well as contribute to my special students’ lives,” he said.
This article was first published on AsiaOne and republished on theAsianparent with permission.
Lead image source screengrab from TikTok / cguazam.
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