By Khanya Rajuili

The driving force behind an organisation like Eco-Access is the selfless giving of resources, skills, time and love by volunteers. These people come from all walks of life with the common aim of making a difference in the lives of persons with disabilities. We have been fortunate that through word of mouth, publicity and awareness the Volunteer Team at Eco-Access has grown in numbers and strength.

Eco-Access succeeds to implement its plans by training and engaging the volunteers to participate in their activities. Last year 27 volunteers attended a 2-day training camp where they received introductory training on skills for supporting and guiding persons with disabilities, and focus was placed on visual, hearing, physical and intellectual impairments. The course was conducted at a basic, beginner's level, an equivalent of Levels 1 & 2 of the NQF qualifications.
The profile of our volunteers has been on principles of equity, to include five of whom have a disability i.e. physical (3); visual (1) and one person with albinism. Our target in 2010 is to complement the current profile with 50% volunteers with a disability and who will take a lead in all our programmes.

The role of the volunteer is a fulfilling one, and many a volunteer has change his or her perspective on persons with disabilities, as well as on their own lives. 
In the words of one volunteer, “This has been a life-changing experience, because now instead of judging people on their outward appearance. I am able to see their talents and gifts and I get to know the person inside. I have also learnt that people with disabilities are not disabled, they are just differently abled and that we need to give them the same respect we would like to receive.”

A team of volunteers from Old Mutual Personal Financial Advice’s Centurion branch ran a project for their Care and Share initiative to fix up Optima’s kitchen a bit. Care and Share is a voluntary project by Old Mutual staff members where they develop projects and resources to benefit creditable organisations or projects.

When one of the volunteers, Carin de Kock, visited us on a previous occasion she saw blind students walking around with pots of just cooked food, taking it to their rooms, and decided to do something about the situation. They fixed up the Optima kitchen, supplying new kitchen utensils and a lovely new microwave oven. They also brought practical new furniture for the adjacent dining room. Now the students can sit around the new tables and enjoy their meals while socialising, after they have cooked in the communal kitchen.

It is not the first time they have helped us! Old Mutual Personal Financial Advice’s Centurion branch also offered volunteer services and helped with arrangements for our White Cane Safety Day walk and picnic on 15 October as part of their contribution to this year’s Do It Day initiative. They also sponsored the picnic food.

We are very grateful that they are spending their time and resources on bettering the lives of our students and other visually impaired persons! Also to Old Mutual who makes it possible for their employees to contribute in this way.