Changing the world for the visually impaired

Alexander has been associated with the South African Guide Dogs Association as a volunteer for at least 20 years. For the next year, however, she will work full-time at the association’s College of Orientation and Mobility as one of 20 participants in the Vodacom Foundation’s Change the World initiative.

The initiative sponsors volunteers to leave their day jobs and spend a year at a non-profit organisation, where they run sustainable projects to outlast their year-long involvement. Vodacom pays each volunteer a salary, covers the cost of hosting the volunteer, and donates a substantial grant to the chosen organisation.

“It’s an amazingly generous initiative,” enthused Alexander, who was searching for career inspiration after two decades in real estate when she came across the initiative.

It is also a challenging initiative. Alexander herself has a daunting list of goals to complete in the fulfilment of her mandate, which is to raise awareness and funding for the college.

The vast majority of visually-impaired South Africans are unable to keep a guide dog, Alexander pointed out. Underprivileged people battle to feed or provide medical care for a large, pedigreed animal, while many communities are unsuitable or dangerous for a dog. Instead, these individuals need the skills and independence that the college teaches.

The college, founded in 1974, offers a national, Seta-accredited diploma in Orientation and Mobility to sighted students, who in turn train visually-impaired people across South Africa in everyday skills and the use of a white cane.

With the combined contributions of the Vodacom Foundation and the Guide Dogs Association, four new practitioners are already due to begin their training in October, and Alexander intends to consolidate a network of existing practioners across the country. She has braved social media, and will spend the year approaching social groups, corporates and industries such as transport, hospitality and nursing to raise the profile of the college.

“I’d love the opportunity to speak to groups, to have the opportunity to make people aware,” said Alexander.

Details: www.guidedog.org.za/college-of-orientation-mobility; RosemaryA@guidedog.org.za; 076 520 1561.