<I>Fayzal Sulliman, methadone subsitution therapy centre</I>

?I have had many great teachers who have accompanied me along my educational path from my very early days. Several of them have had a great constructive influence on me. I still remember very well when I was at primary level at Young Men?s Hindu Government School, the likes of Mr. Nujurally and Goolam Bahdoorally. In fact, they always tried to instill self-confidence in me. They would encourage me by telling me very often that I had the potential to be a laureate and so on. It goes without saying that by doing so, they triggered off my desire to do well in everything I was doing.

Afterwards, I went to the Royal College of Port-Louis. I must say that there also, there were quite a few teachers whom I appreciated very much. However, the two teachers who were most important to me in a way were Ajum Oumeerally and Aded-Hussen Ebramjee. The former was helping me in science as a kind of tuition teacher, whereas the latter was giving me tuition in biology every Saturday at his home when I was doing my HSC. Indeed, Aded-Hussen Ebramjee was a great guy. What I will always remember regarding him is how he showed me how to dissect various kinds of small animals and how to examine them in precise detail. Actually, when he made me experience what dissection was all about, I simply felt awestruck by his explanations and the way I was asked to proceed. It was a tremendous experience. So good, that this turned out to be one of the major factors, if not the major one that made me fall in love with the subject. Coming back to the teacher himself, I must say that his personality was awesome. He was very open and very kind. Moreover, he would dedicate his whole Saturday afternoon to helping his students.

But the one I will choose to describe as my best teacher is Ajum Oumeerally, although Aded-Hussen Ebramjee was as good as him in a way. Ajum Oumeerally was another tuition teacher for science. But he was more than that as he was my neighbour until very recently. He was the one who always made me believe I could become a good doctor one day. Consequently, he turned out to be the one who showed me the way towards the career I was to choose in those days. He was so trust worthy and so good to me that he even became a sort of educational adviser for my family concerning my future. He was so nice that there was a kind of friendship developing along with time. Today, he is a true great friend to me. I recall those days when I was taking tuition with him and I remember that he was like someone living at my place and it was the same for me as I used to spend so much time at his place. There was even complicity between us. When I had to tell something to my father, he used to act as a facilitator because it was hard for me to say some things to my father. (Laughter)

Today, whenever I have time I try to go and visit his family and act as their doctor. This is simply to show him how grateful I am towards him for all he has done for me and obviously also because I have always been close to his whole family. To have had him as a teacher is just unforgettable.?