As Madoda places his hands on the box containing a swarm of bees, I start to panic. Even though I’m covered head to toe in a bee suit, I am afraid of being stung but fear more for him because he doesn’t care to wear protection over his face.
He remains calm and confident in what he is doing, slowly shuffling his hands across the box, feeling for the latch and then opening it. A bee lands on his arm but he does not panic as he reaches inside.
At fourteen years old Madoda, now 37, went completely blind. As a child he had reoccurring problems with his eyes, until he fell sick and eventually lost his eye sight all together. Despite this, Madoda enjoys an active lifestyle and is a supportive father to his four children.
At his home in Joza, Grahamstown he is the sole provider for his four children and his girlfriend Miriam. Miriam has struggled to keep a stable job and is currently unemployed. Madoda is also unemployed and struggles to support his family on his monthly disability grant of R970 per month. Their two eldest children go to Numpumelelo School on as little as R280 a month.
Madoda is a client at the Grahamstown and District Relief Association (Gadra). Gadra’s aim is to eradicate poverty in the Grahamstown community, through counselling, training and the development of sustainable projects.
The bee keeping project was developed by Gadra in partnership with the Makana Meadery. Its goal is to give blind people the opportunity to learn bee keeping skills and in turn generate an income from the honey, which will improve the quality of their lives.
Madoda was one out of six trainees who took part in the project and is now equipped with efficient bee keeping skills which he can use to generate an additional income.
Dr Garth Cambray, director of the Makana Meadery explains that the blind tend to be calmer around a swarm of bees than sighted people and this is why they make proficient bee keepers.
Cambray understands the desperate need for sustainable projects in Grahamstown and believes the bee keeping project will continue to be a success. Gadra seeks to develop sustainable projects that will change the lives of people in the Grahamstown community, especially in the township where poverty is rife.
Like Madoda, most of the blind people at Gadra are unemployed and their disability grant is the main source of income for their family. According to Social Investment Exchange (sasix), less than 3% of blind people are employed in South Africa. Lack of opportunities to learn skills and lack of training, results in a low self-esteem and social isolation amongst the blind.
Madoda has learnt how to read Braille, plays musical instruments, bowls and has acquired some computer skills. He is confident in himself and his abilities.
Each day of the week at Gadra is assigned a different activity. Many of the skills, he was taught by his mentor Pumi Poro, one of the co-ordinators at Gadra. Gadra strives to uplift members in the Grahamstown community and has given hope and confidence to Madoda and many others. .
Madoda flashes me a smile and calls me over to the box housing the bees. I hesitantly look inside. He laughs at me, as though he can see the nervous expression on my face and then points at the honey.
He remains calm and confident in what he is doing, slowly shuffling his hands across the box, feeling for the latch and then opening it. A bee lands on his arm but he does not panic as he reaches inside.
At fourteen years old Madoda, now 37, went completely blind. As a child he had reoccurring problems with his eyes, until he fell sick and eventually lost his eye sight all together. Despite this, Madoda enjoys an active lifestyle and is a supportive father to his four children.
At his home in Joza, Grahamstown he is the sole provider for his four children and his girlfriend Miriam. Miriam has struggled to keep a stable job and is currently unemployed. Madoda is also unemployed and struggles to support his family on his monthly disability grant of R970 per month. Their two eldest children go to Numpumelelo School on as little as R280 a month.
Madoda is a client at the Grahamstown and District Relief Association (Gadra). Gadra’s aim is to eradicate poverty in the Grahamstown community, through counselling, training and the development of sustainable projects.
The bee keeping project was developed by Gadra in partnership with the Makana Meadery. Its goal is to give blind people the opportunity to learn bee keeping skills and in turn generate an income from the honey, which will improve the quality of their lives.
Madoda was one out of six trainees who took part in the project and is now equipped with efficient bee keeping skills which he can use to generate an additional income.
Dr Garth Cambray, director of the Makana Meadery explains that the blind tend to be calmer around a swarm of bees than sighted people and this is why they make proficient bee keepers.
Cambray understands the desperate need for sustainable projects in Grahamstown and believes the bee keeping project will continue to be a success. Gadra seeks to develop sustainable projects that will change the lives of people in the Grahamstown community, especially in the township where poverty is rife.
Like Madoda, most of the blind people at Gadra are unemployed and their disability grant is the main source of income for their family. According to Social Investment Exchange (sasix), less than 3% of blind people are employed in South Africa. Lack of opportunities to learn skills and lack of training, results in a low self-esteem and social isolation amongst the blind.
Madoda has learnt how to read Braille, plays musical instruments, bowls and has acquired some computer skills. He is confident in himself and his abilities.
Each day of the week at Gadra is assigned a different activity. Many of the skills, he was taught by his mentor Pumi Poro, one of the co-ordinators at Gadra. Gadra strives to uplift members in the Grahamstown community and has given hope and confidence to Madoda and many others. .
Madoda flashes me a smile and calls me over to the box housing the bees. I hesitantly look inside. He laughs at me, as though he can see the nervous expression on my face and then points at the honey.
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