How Mum’s advice inspired a lifetime of education in rural Sarawak

When Nawawi Abdul Hamid began teaching in the interior in 1965, reaching school meant crossing rivers, trekking for hours and embracing life far from home. None of that discouraged the then 20-year-old from Matu. His mother had long urged him to become a teacher, believing education was a calling that could change lives, and her words stayed with him throughout a career that spanned almost four decades.