Senior Citizens Tea at the SA Guide-Dogs Association for the Blind
PAULSHOF – The second annual Senior Citizens Tea was a wagging success! Find out about the morning by reading here!
The SA Guide-Dogs Association for the Blind second annual Senior Citizens Tea was a barking success, with an estimated 200 attendees at this year’s gathering.
The tea, hosted at the association’s training centre in Paulshof on the morning of 9 November, was a chance for staff and volunteers of the organisation, as well as the visually impaired people who they help, to speak.
“This is the second annual Senior Citizen’s Tea and we have about 200 people here this year, which is much better than last year,” said Pieter van Niekerk, head of public relations for the association.
The event featured a number of inspirational guest speakers, with the executive director of the association, Gail Glover delivering the first address. Glover discussed the history of the association, which was founded in 1953 and has trained
1 700 seeing eye dogs in South Africa since its inception.
Next to speak was Christine Voigt, a puppy-raiser who has raised 13 puppies since beginning her work at the association in 2002. Present with her was puppy number 13, a black Labrador female named Nessa who might one day become a working dog.
“It is a joy to raise a puppy,” Voigt told attendees.
“Even though you have to give them back at the end [of the 12 months that volunteers keep the dogs]. It is very hard, but I deal with it by getting another puppy.”
Hannelie Strydom was next to speak about her experiences as a visually-impaired person after losing her sight as an infant. She spoke about her experiences working and raising a family, and her stories were so touching that some members of the audience were reduced to tears.
“These [working] dogs love you, despite having a disability,” she said while speaking about the three working dogs that have been her aides so far.
Visually impaired musician, Christo Bezuidenhout provided musical entertainment between speeches.
The last guest speaker was Elizabeth Louw, head of the association’s College of Orientation and Mobility, who spoke about other methods of helping the visually impaired gain independence, such as learning to use a cane.
After a fun-filled morning of speakers and prize handouts, guests were then invited to enjoy tea and snacks as the sun came out.
To find out more about SA Guide-Dogs for the Blind, visit their website www.guidedog.org.za
