Sharing for a Meaningful Life
Sidkam Hasim Gayo
Having been born in a healthy condition, then losing his eye sight at a young age and being close to committing suicide because of disappointment, Sikdam Hasim Gayo, 28, has managed to rise back up. For Sikdam, imperfection is perfection. His life is becoming more meaningful by sharing his story.
In front of 300 agriculture instructors in Takengon, Central Aceh, Aceh, Monday (20/3), Sikdam spoke about his life. Sikdam is a person with a disability, blindness.
”Now ladies and gentlemen, close your eyes. What do you see? As dark as being in a cave. That is what I have been seeing for seven years,” Sikdam said.
A few silent seconds. Sikdam re-adjusted the position of his glasses. ”However, I am grateful, it is this blindness that has made my life more meaningful,” Sikdam went on.
That day, Sikdam was invited by the Central Aceh regency administration to become a single speaker in front of agriculture instructors. It is hoped that the life experience of the young man of Gayo descent could inspire the instructors in assisting farmers.
”You have so many advantages. Good people, educated and can see. Failure is certain but success needs to be strived for,” Sikdam said.
In the last few years, he has often been invited to speak in regional, national and even international forums. He is now a speaker and motivator.
Sikdam was born on July 5, 1989. He spent his childhood in Central Aceh. His father and mother were coffee farmers. He is the ninth out of 13 children. After finishing elementary school, he went on to pursue his junior high, senior high and college education in Jakarta and lived with his siblings.
”My father said that if I wanted to be successful, I had to move away from home. When I was younger I wanted to be a diplomat, I wanted to travel the world. That is why I majored in English Language,” he said.
Fall and rise
However, a tragedy that struck at around noon on one day at the end of 2010 snatched away the dream he had kept for years. At the time, Sikdam was on his way back home from delivering a job application letter in his friend’s car. The car experienced an accident when it came to a sudden halt to avoid a speed bump. Sikdam’s head hit the ceiling of the car and suddenly his sight faded. He lost his eyesight. Part of his memory was also lost.
”When I returned to consciousness, everything was dark. I could not see anything. I was stressed, angry, disappointed, shaken and had lost hope. God was not fair. I thought my life was over. Without my eyesight, I thought that there was no point in living,” said Sikdam to the highly attentive instructors.
Sikdam locked himself in his room. He was frustrated, he had lost his friends and his dream. At one time, the thought of ending his life crossed his mind. However, luckily, when he was down, his mother was always there to strengthen his spirit. ”My mother is the best motivator. She said ’You are the most valuable thing in my life. You are special, Sikdam’.”
Sikdam thought about what he could do to fill his days to make them more meaningful. He wanted to share. His mother suggested that he opened a free English course for children from poor families. The suggestion was taken on board by Sikdam who opened the English Social House in Sawangan, Depok, West Java, in 2012.
Despite the loss of eyesight, Sikdam did not experience even the slightest of difficulties in teaching. He memorized all the materials taught to his students. As of this moment, Sikdam also teaches English at SMA Adria Pratama Mulya senior high school, Tangerang.
Fighting for the rights of people with disabilities
After speaking at the agriculture instructors’ forum, Sikdam, who was accompanied by his cousin, Gilang, visited the Loyang Mendale Archeological Site at the side of the Laut Tawar Lake, Takengon. When he lived in Takengon, Sikdam often played in the lake. ”It used to be really cool here, now it’s hot,” Sikdam said.
Sikdam wanted to visit the place wherea prehistoric human skeleton was discovered in Loyang Mendale. However, the place is not is not friendly for people with a disability. The path to the site is an uphill walk with a lot of difficult terrain to pass. ”Indonesia is not yet disability-friendly. We don’t have a decent place here,” he said.
According to Sikdam, the country is still neglectful of the rights of people with disabilities. Government institutions do not hire disabled workers. Public schools reject students with disabilities. ”Why are we not able to work in places we like? Aren’t we also citizens of Indonesia?”
To fight for the disabled, Sikdam has been making his voice heard overseas. In 2013, he spoke at the Young People with Disability Global Conference in Kenya. A year later, he received an international award for youths from Prince Edward and gave a speech in England. In 2015, Sikdam was a speaker in the South Korean parliament.
“I am fighting for the rights of the disabled. We, who are seen as defective people, still have dreams. We also want to live like the others,” he said. Together with the Indonesian young people with disabilities community, which he founded in 2013, Sikdam continues to speak up.
Even though he feels Indonesia is not yet friendly towards people with disability, his love for the country is unshaken. He has been offered citizenship by South Korea and the US. “My friends say ‘In Indonesia you are not appreciated. Better to move here’. I said no. Indonesia is my home,” Sikdam said.
There is an irony in Sikdam’s struggle. He has often spoken overseas. However, he has never been given the opportunity to speak in the Indonesian parliament nor in front of the President. He hopes that he can meet the President to present the voice and hopes of the people with disability in Indonesia.
Sikdam Hasim Gayo
- Born: West Sumatra, July 5, 1989
- Profession/activity:
- English teacher at SMA Adria Pratama Mulya, Tangerang Disability activist
- English teacher at SMA Adria Pratama Mulya, Tangerang
- Disability activist
- Awards:
- International Award for Young People from Prince Edward (UK) Winner of article writing competition in London Recipient of Liputan 6 Award SCTV Recipient of Gantari 2017 award
- International Award for Young People from Prince Edward (UK)
- Winner of article writing competition in London
- Recipient of Liputan 6 Award SCTV
- Recipient of Gantari 2017 award
