The Lafarge Community Trust entered into a funding agreement with Council to fund various activities and equipment for visually impaired persons in 2011. Some of these activities have already taken place and some are in the planning phase.

Lafarge Community Trust is truly changing the future of South Africa by changing the futures of hundreds of visually impaired persons.

Winter School for VIP matric learners
Council hosted a Matric Winter School from 11 to 15 July at Filadelfia Secondary School in Soshanguve, generously funded by the Lafarge Community Trust. The Winter School consisted of revision classes attended by 130 grade 12 learners from 8 of the special schools for blind persons.

The following subjects were covered:
• Mathematics;
• Mathematical literacy;
• Physical science;
• History;
• CAT;
• English;
• Business studies;
• Economics.

This is what some of the learners had to say after the very successful winter school:
• “I gained a lot on business studies which was a challenge for me”
• “Well trained teachers who understand the environment and situation we are facing as people with disabilities”
• “The classes were brilliant and we had suitable material.”
• “I liked the high level of teaching, especially the maths and physical science teacher”

Matric results have been a major concern in our sector for many years, with the availability of accessible learning materials being one of the main challenges for all blind and partially sighted learners.

We are sure that the tuition the learners received at the winter school will go a long way to produce better results for our visually impaired learners the end of the year.

Projects still to follow – watch our website for updates:

• Training of 42 Educators to improve their teaching capacity (Mathematics and Science);
• Distributing slates and styluses to 380 people who have learnt Braille through a Braille literacy promotion;
• Training 10 learners in Braille literacy;
• Host an annual white cane day to create awareness on visual impairment;
• Distribution of 250 white canes to people with visual impairments;

The Lafarge Community Trust has generously sponsored money to purchase these 250 white canes of which 120 will be distributed to the first 120 visually impaired people who register to participate in the white cane safety day on Friday, 14 October 2011. The other 130 white canes will be given to school leavers at the special schools for the blind around the country.

Our sincere thank goes to the Lafarge Community Trust for their generous sponsorship and the difference they will make in the lives of hundreds of blind and partially sighted persons lives with these projects.