The latest group of Call Centre agents to emerge from Optima College graduated on 27 March. If the event was based on a theme, it would have probably been perseverance, or service to the community.

Attendees were reminded once again of the additional pressure placed on visually impaired students attending Optima, as for many of them, their stay here will coincide with their first time away from home, and the longest time ever away from their families and friends.

Braille Training Facilitator, Suraya Ismail, who is also a former Optima student, gave a very moving speech. She reminded students never to give up on their dreams and to: "have an attitude of gratitude,” in their approach to the future.

Nelson Ngidi (pictured below) was one of the graduates, who referred to Optima College as a “marvelous place of hope for all”. He said that new students, who arrive at Optima for the first time as people with disabilities, leave as people with abilities, who are able to serve the community.

Council would like to express our sincere gratitude to ABSA, who have sponsored this group of Call Centre students. We hope that this partnership will provide even more people with visual impairments to gain skills, follow their dreams, and to serve their communities.

Nestlé Waters has once again agreed to sponsor the water for the White Cane Safety Day Fun Walk. On behalf on some very thirsty fun walkers, Council would like to thank you,  Nestlé Waters!

To find out more about the high quality bottled water offered by this company, and about their efforts towards sustainability, please click here.

At Council we want to spend the money donated to us on reaching more people and expanding our services. But our limited financial resources often don’t stretch far enough.

That’s why we’re hoping you’ll offer us your time and expertise, so we can save the money we would have had to pay professionals.

Currently we need the following skills:
• Legal experts and building regulations experts
• People to develop marketing materials and strategies, promotional items and exhibition kits
• Language, editing and layout specialists
• Website developers
• We also need a camera and DVD camera so we can send photos and videos to funders.

In return for your time, you will receive an 18A Certificate so you can enjoy tax benefits. We’ll also give you or your company exposure on our website. Last, but not least – doing pro bono work for us will significantly increase your company’s BEE rating!
 

Council is conducting our second winter school for learners with visual impairments. This wonderful initiative has once again been sponsored by Lafarge Community Trust. The school which will see 88 learners from six schools across the country participate at Filadelfia Secondary School in Shoshanguve, Pretoria will run from 25-29 June. 
 

The schools represented are: Efata School and Zamokuhle Secondary School from the Eastern Cape, Bartimea School from the Free State, Filadelfia from Gauteng and Rivoni and Setotolwane LSEN School from Limpopo.

Council would like to thank Lafarge Community Trust for making this possible and for their commitment to improving the lives of learners with visual impairments. We hope that the effort which learners and teachers will put in, as a result of the funding from Lafarge, will pay off great dividends in terms of quality results at the end of the year. 
 

Why employ a blind person?
Because it's so difficult for the them to find employment, people with disabilities generally work harder and are more loyal. People with visual disabilities tend to be more articulate and have better memories, owing to the way they have to work.

Our Placement Officer can advise employers interested in offering positions to visually impaired people. Options include:
Call Centre Staff
Optima provides training for blind and partially sighted people wishing to enter the call centre industry. For further information, please contact us on. tel. (012) 453-3811 or email: admin@sancb.org.za

Internships
This involves a blind or partially sighted trainee being exposed to a real working environment for a period each week. The benefits are two-sided: other staff receive direct exposure to persons with a visual impairment, while the trainee has the opportunity to experience the workplace.

Learnerships
A learnership is a one-year programme, during which the trainee works and studies at the same time. The learner is paid by way of a grant and receives a certificate, recognised by the South African Qualifications Authority, on completion.

Learnerships are governed by SETAs (Sector Education and Training Authorities). Each industry has its own SETA, responsible for ensuring that skills development takes place. The company offering learnership opportunities benefits from rebates for the Skills Levy and also by educating a possible future employee.

Placements
We also have candidates who have greater degrees of experience and could be accommodated in the labour market. Please contact us to discuss your requirements.

E-mail: phillip@sancb.org.za
Tel. 012 452-3811

Motivational speaker:
On 27 March 2002, while working on a de-mining project in Mozambique, Kloppies Kloppers was injured in a landmine explosion.
For six weeks, Kloppies fought for his life in ICU. Then followed months of rehabilitation and operations. Today, Kloppies is blind and 90% deaf.
With the love and support of his family, he now uses his strong will, sharp wit and belief in God to motivate others of all ages and from all walks of life. Just being in his company is an inspiring and thought-provoking experience.

Kloppies is able to tailor-make and personalise his talks for each audience, and has covered topics such as Humanitarian Work, Overcoming Fear, Security, and Motivation.

For further information, please contact Henriette on 082 7635748 or via email by clicking here.