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In the past, Farihan worked as a sales telemarketer, where her first job was marked by a high-pressure environment filled with sales targets, late-night working, and monthly emotional breakdowns from not being able to achieve her sales targets.
Today, she translates textbooks and storybooks into Braille so blind students and people across Malaysia can read.
And for the first time, she says it gives her a sense of real satisfaction compared to her previous job.
Started learning Braille at seven
Farihan, who was born blind, began learning Braille at seven years old while studying at a fully special-education school from primary school until Form Five.
Throughout her time there, she remembers herself not as a top student, but an “average” one.
“I have a twin sister who is also visually impaired, but unlike me, she can still see shadows and light. Thus, growing up alongside her came with its own share of pressure.
“People always compared us. She was stronger academically, while I was more into co-curricular activities. It was stressful for both of us to hear those comparisons.
“But this never stopped me from loving co-curricular activities, with kawad kaki being my personal favourite,” she said.
Studying alongside sighted students
Throughout her early schooling years, Farihan studied at fully special-education schools where class numbers were kept small so that teachers could give close attention to each one.
Students with different levels of visual impairment also learnt together and were encouraged to explore various activities.
When Farihan went to Form Six, she entered an integrated school and found herself attending classes with sighted students for the first time.
“While the teachers were great and my friends were friendly, not everyone was kind to me due to my disability.
“Being a blind person, it is never easy to tell whether the help given stems from genuine concern or hidden motives. Having experienced this many times, I’ve become anxious whenever someone offers help as I’m uncertain of what lies behind their intentions,” she explained.
Farihan also shared an incident that deeply hurt her and still lingers in her mind to this day.
“One of my friends suddenly became nice to me just because she had SPM examinations the next day and wanted to do a good deed.
“As such, I’m very skeptical whenever people offer help out of the blue. Nowadays, such ‘help’ can be turned into fodder for content.”
Entering the workforce through sales
After graduating, Farihan studied office management and started working as a telemarketing salesperson. While she didn’t enjoy the job, she accepted it as she had bills to pay.
Her role involved selling internet packages and earned a living via commissions, which was only paid in full after a customer has completed the entire registration and Wi-Fi installation process.
On top of that, commissions were only given out if monthly sales reached RM3,000 or more.
“In the sales industry, even if a customer agrees to register for a plan, they might reject installing the Wi-Fi due to extra charges.
“Targets were not only personal but also corporate. I was required to hit daily and team-wide goals. If these targets weren’t met, I cannot go home.
“Sometimes I had to stay back until 8pm or 9pm, and I’d cry every month due to the overwhelming stress caused by the job. However, I stayed as I was afraid I wouldn’t get another job if I quit.”
Finding new purpose in new job
Eventually, Farihan joined MAB part-time and was later offered a permanent position. Today, she’s in charge of translating textbooks, storybooks, and research documents into Braille.
“Now I can see the results of my work. A book I translated gets approved and sent to schools. That makes me happy.
“While the job still comes with stress, but the outcome is clear and meaningful. This job gives me satisfaction because I can see the results of what I do.”
Interestingly, Farihan retained one habit she cultivated during her time as a telemarketer, which is setting targets.
“If I have two subjects to complete, I’ll set how many pages I must finish today. If I achieve it, I feel proud. If not, I’ll try again tomorrow.”
“But now, those targets mean more than just mere numbers. They mean blind students getting access to education.
As Farihan isn’t married and currently supports her parents, she understands how difficult it is to find stable employment.
Despite the challenges, she has finally found a place where she truly belongs and a sense of meaning that being a telemarketer never gave her.
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