A stitch in time saves lives

THE KwaZulu-Natal Blind and Deaf Society opened a sewing centre in Durban on November 24. The centre will teach blind and deaf youth skills that make them employable and independent. The operation started with just a room during the Covid-19 Pandemic and has now officially become a centre to better people’s lives.

“The deaf community relies heavily on facial expressions when communicating, and the coronavirus regulations hindered this as they required that people wear masks to stop the spread of the virus. It became a struggle to effectively communicate, so the idea of window masks was born, and they were sewn at this one-room centre after many organisations donated sewing machines to get the centre running,” said Veetha Sewkuran, president of the KwaZulu-Natal Blind and Deaf Society.

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The sewing centre seeks to improve the staggering 90% unemployment rate among people living
with disabilities. They partnered with KwaZulu-Natal Clothing and Textile that offered to train six students from the Blind and Deaf Society as machinists and also offered employment to learners who acquired skills at the centre.

“Because of the destruction that the coronavirus caused, many programmes the society had been running had to be stopped due to the drying out of funds – we had to stop computer literacy and Braille literacy, but with the opening of this centre and the assistance of donors who have come on board to aid us, we are pleased to have those programmes up and running again,” added Sewkuran.

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The centre hopes to provide more opportunities for the youth who are blind, deaf and deafblind and also give them skills that are sustainable and employable. “Let the hum of sewing machines resonate with the rhythm of determination and achievement. Together, let us sew the fabric of a more inclusive, compassionate and vibrant society,” concluded Sewkuran.

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