Cape Town - In the heart of Ocean View, one teacher’s unwavering determination is transforming the lives of young learners. Zainap Slarmie, a Grade R teacher at Jupiter Street Primary, who teaches from a wheelchair, has become an inspiring symbol of resilience and determination.
The 27-year-old wife and mother teaches her learners about resilience, empathy, and the power of overcoming challenges.
At 10am, during break time yesterday, Slarmie opened up about her journey. In the background, children can be heard laughing and engaging.
“I chose education because I wanted to show children that no matter what challenges they face, they are not less able. I wanted them to know it’s okay to be different. It doesn’t make you any less valuable, and it certainly doesn’t stop you from achieving your dreams.”
Her path to becoming a teacher was anything but easy. As a young girl, she was diagnosed with selective mutism and by the age of 13, she ended up in an accident that left her with a spinal cord injury that resulted in permanent paralysis.
“I had to fight through a lot of adversity,” she recalls.
Slarmie remembers being bullied because of her being “different”.
“One person that kept me going was my mom. She would never let me feel any different and when the time came, she would go with me to every university and college.”
Slarmie graduated in 2022 as a Foundation Phase teacher through Unisa and, by 2023, began her honours in education and has been sharing her journey since. She currently teaches a girl who also uses a wheelchair in her class, and said it’s one of the most rewarding experiences.
“Just seeing how the kids play with her and include her makes my heart feel so warm.
“Even the way they see me, it’s not like they see me as a person in a wheelchair, they see me as a teacher, and that is what I want must happen all over. I want that inclusivity, and I want that child or student studying to know that your disability does not define you. Your dreams do.”
Principal Celeste Abrahams said Slarmie embodies the spirit of resilience and inclusivity that the school aspires to cultivate.
“Her role as a teacher in a wheelchair sends a powerful message to our learners, colleagues, and the entire community: that we are not defined or limited by our physical bodies
“By openly sharing her journey and embracing her wheelchair with grace and strength, she teaches our young learners invaluable lessons about resilience, inclusivity, and self-acceptance.
“Her learners see in her a role model who encourages them to embrace their unique qualities and to see themselves as capable, no matter the challenges they may face.”
tracy-lynn.ruiters@inl.co.za
Cape Argus