Fresh gig: Mohamad Arif had always wanted to be a barber and after an accident left him disabled, he turned his passion into his profession.
KULAI: Being a person with disability (OKU) did not stop Mohamad Arif Ahmad from realising his dream of opening his own barber shop.
The 23-year-old was unable to walk following a road accident some six years ago while working as a food delivery rider.
“The accident left me with a permanent disability as my spine was fractured.
“It changed me not only physically but also mentally as I was a bit down after that.
“However, one of my close friends, who is also a barber, gave me encouragement to pursue my passion of becoming a barber.
“I have been learning and cutting people’s hair since my secondary school days but my friend also gave me a few lessons and advice on how to do it better,” he said.
Mohamad Arif, who is also a state para athlete, said through encouragement from families and friends, he opened a barber shop located in Taman Gembira near Bukit Batu in Johor more than a year ago.
He said business has been good with an average of 20 customers per day.
With Hari Raya Aidilfitri just around the corner, he expects more people to come to his shop to have their hair cut.
“I have two other barbers at my shop, and we also provide facial and shaving services,” he added.
Mohamad Arif said that to make the job easier for him, he has been using a hydraulic powered chair which he specially ordered from China.
“The chair has been very helpful for me to move around the shop,” he added.
