Beyond the power
Of Eyes

Society for the blind. The majority of South Africa's visually disabled people live in rural areas. Their visual impairment is partly due to the endemic nature of the diseases Glaucoma and Trachoma, and other poverty related conditions. Conversely, opportunities for rehabilitation, training and employment, and access to special services are generally minimal or non-existent in rural areas. Back in 1975 this hopeless situation existed for an estimated 6% (251 000) of the citizens of Limpopo Province.

This was the case prior to the founding of the Rivoni Society for the blind at Elim, a hospital 25 kilometers south of Louis Trichardt (Makhado) in the heart of the far northern rural Limpopo area. The organisation was an initiative of the late Dr Erika Sutter who was working at the Elim Hospital Eye Department. Rivoni was established in 1976.

For the past 46 years of the organisation's existence, Rivoni remained one of the biggest and well reputable NGOs serving the needs of the blind and partially sighted among a population of 4.2 million. Though situated within the Vhembe District, Rivoni operates provincially and goes beyond the boundaries of the Limpopo Province and it is the only institution offering comprehensive and recognized services, e.g. after training blind students are absorbed into mainstream education, while adults are placed in income generating projects. This shows the importance of the services that Rivoni is rendering, which explicitly indicates the lack of relevant support in the rural communities of the Limpopo Province:

• Blind and partially sighted people lack access to education
• Visually impaired people lack access in terms of economic activities
• Lack of training to enable them to regain freedom of movement and sustainability of their livelihood
• Blind and visually impaired people often resort to hiding, isolating and committing suicide due to failure to cope with the pressure resulting from sudden loss of sight
• Blind people lack further development opportunities needed for their social and economic development

Rehabilitation is the right of every blind person. It not only improves their quality of life dramatically, but also contributes to the further development of the communities in which they live, through employment and income generation. Rivoni Society for the Blind has for the past 46 years given independence training to almost 14,890 visually impaired men, women and children.

They have gained freedom of movement and access to education and basic human life needs necessary for every person's daily living. Many have been able to enter mainstream educational lives through to university. Others are gainfully employed in professional designations in both government and private sectors, while some are in income generating projects initiated by Rivoni. Limpopo Province is a vast rural area and there are a large number of blind and partially sighted people waiting in hopelessness to make something worthwhile of their lives.