South African Mobilty For the Blind Trust
Welcome to SAMBT, Xoliswa
Xoliswa Shozi joined our team of practitioners at SAMBT earlier this year. She graduated top of her class at the College of Orientation and Mobility at SA Guide Dogs a in 2019. Xoliswa is currently working in KwaZulu-Natal, thanks to our partnership with the KZN Department of Health. With SAMBT, she now brings independence to Read more about Welcome to SAMBT, Xoliswa[…]
Welcome Lethabo
Lethabo joined SAMBT at the beginning of 2023. She is a qualified occupational therapist with experience in supervision. “As an OT in South Africa, our work tends to be based at a hospital, school or private practice. I have always loved doing community work, one just gets to know a client so much better than Read more about Welcome Lethabo[…]
SAMBT Welcomes Jacob
Jacob met Parishna Ramluckan, our Managing Trustee per chance, while working as an Uber driver some years ago. He made such a good impression with his bookkeeping qualification et al, that when we needed additional capacity, he was the first person she called. With our growing number of practitioners, Jacob adds much needed capacity in Read more about SAMBT Welcomes Jacob[…]
Welcome Rosetta Smile
We welcome Rosetta Smile Ndlovu to our team of practitioners. Thanks to her appointment, we are now able to train another 50 people who are blind or partially sighted every year. Rosetta loves seeing her clients develop their independence skills, seeing them get up and do things for themselves, whether this is going back to Read more about Welcome Rosetta Smile[…]
The Next Step
The first school quarter of every year is a crucial time for independence training at schools for the blind, as the new 5 – 6-year-olds who are blind or partially sighted, arrive in this big strange new place called boarding school. We regularly train at about eight schools for the blind who do not have Read more about The Next Step[…]
“I did not Believe you at First”
Our biggest achievement at SAMBT, hands down, is every time a new blind client learns how to get around with his or her white cane on their own. We know how easy it is to forget what courage it takes for a blind person to start walking around without hanging onto someone’s arm. Our practitioner Read more about “I did not Believe you at First”[…]
Welcome Tsholofelo
For several years now, we at SAMBT have been working towards enlarging our team of four fulltime practitioners at SAMBT. We are grateful to Absa, for their funding which allows us to employ Tsholofelo Modikoe. But let’s put Tsholofelo’s employment into perspective. There are over one million blind people in South Africa. One fulltime practitioner Read more about Welcome Tsholofelo[…]
Imagine…
Today, I would like you to take 5 minutes to imagine something. I want you to imagine how you would feel if the eyes in your head suddenly stop working? Now close your eyes and walk around the room you’re in. This is what blind people like me experience every day. We are always mindful Read more about Imagine…[…]
The Seeing Stick
As we celebrate White Cane Awareness Day, here is a story of Ntombi who we trained earlier this year. It’s a hot summer day. The washing is hanging on a low fence – sheets, shirts, skirts and trousers. Four small boys are lying on the green grass, in the shade of an old tree where Read more about The Seeing Stick[…]
The Stories Tracks Tell
Walk down any dirt or sandy road and you’ll see tracks. Tracks from cars and bicycles, cows and goats, adults and children. Most of these tracks, whether from a vehicle, animal or person, are so familiar to us we hardly pay them any attention. But when we learn to look carefully, we will see each Read more about The Stories Tracks Tell[…]