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EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S REPORT
One of the major challenges facing community service organisations such as LOFOB is the changing environment in which services must be delivered. The changing funding climate calls for innovative strategies that will ensure adequate resourcing and sustainability of a service which might have lost its funding appeal as more popular causes are identified. However, LOFOB has been able to rise to the challenge and as this report will indicate, continue to be relevant in the development of human potential.
A report of this nature should speak to all partners in this work and not only to the funders and hence the reader will find references to the philosophies that drive our work. LOFOB's mission is to assist blind and partially sighted people to be more than just recipients of the good will and generosity of others but to be participants and indeed contributors to the creation of a better life for all people. We remain committed to encouraging blind people to become givers rather than receivers. This in itself has its own set of daunting demands as we operate in a community that is economically challenged.
EVALUATION OF OUR SERVICE
Every year we ask our clients to evaluate the service they receive. At an appropriate time towards the end of the year we invite clients to participate in the evaluation. Volunteers who are not involved in the service provision are recruited to interview our clients. The report card indicates that we are successfully meeting the needs of our clients. We checked on issues such as the language in which courses are presented. Although most of our clients are Xhosa speaking we received positive feed back on the language issue.
The responses indicate an overall satisfaction with services. All clients surveyed said that the rehab programme helped them to function independently.
While each one identified a different skill that stood out, the overriding view is that they are now able to do tasks, which they could not do before coming to LOFOB.
Training in computers stood out as a further skill required, although there was some indication of a need for detergent mixing. Braille was the second highest need articulated by clients.
With regard to the professional attitude of the staff, all the clients interviewed reported a very high standard of professionalism. Clients felt they were experienced and competent. All the clients reported a change in their lives since coming to LOFOB. They were encouraged to live independently. People, who were frustrated, became more tolerant and enhanced their social interaction. New meaning and purpose to life was established after contact with LOFOB.
We did change lives.
COLLABORATING WITH DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
A Volunteer Community Health Worker project to identify people with Low Vision was successfully implemented in collaboration with the Department of Health. Since the programme was introduced, 19 unemployed matriculants were equipped with the skill to do basic eye screening and assisting people with Low Vision to live independently. These volunteer CHW's screened 2007 people. Five hundred (500) were referred for refraction and 120 people with visual impairment were identified for LOFOB services for the first time. Five children who were never exposed to any stimulation programme were also referred to LOFOB's ECD programme.
Part of the programme was to identify career paths for some of these matriculants and we are pleased to report that one is now being trained as an Orientation and Mobility Instructor. One other could be employed in LOFOB's Low Vision programme, doing craft skills transfer.
EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT
We received 15 new referrals of children between the ages of 0 - 4 this year. We have 45 children on our children's list, 10 of whom attended daily at our centre, while the remaining 35 are on home programmes which are administered by their parents and caregivers, under supervision of our pediatric occupational therapist. This year we started to incorporate multi-disabled children in our daily programme. Retinopathy of Prematurity is indicated in at least 13% of the kids as the cause of blindness.
Three (3) children were enrolled into grade1 after completing their stimulation and development at LOFOB.
Our programme includes educational excursions such as visits to fire stations, animal farms, botanical gardens, the beach and other children's recreational centres.
We offered support to parents through six group meetings. Parents met Dr Tom Miller of Perkins School for the Blind which is based in the USA in an empowering session. Motivational speakers encouraged parents to be proactive. An awareness session on HIV/AIDS was also offered to parents of the blind and partially sighted children. The support group offers parents an opportunity to learn from each other and share experiences.
SERVICE TO NEWLY BLINDED ADULTS
LOFOB has been privileged during this year to offer independence training to adults who lost their sight. It is a sad reflection on the level of violence in our society when at least 20 of the 276 adults referred to us for service were blinded through violence. Even sadder is the fact that at least 6 persons out of the 276 were blinded by gun shots, probably with illegal fire arms.
We noticed an increase in blindness caused by diabetes and we wish to encourage people to watch their diets carefully. The onset of blindness is difficult to deal with and is indeed a very traumatic experience.
Our service provides counselling and retraining of lost skills. Skills relearned included money identification, managing the home, cooking and personal care, communication skills such as basic typing, computer skills and Braille reading and writing.
It is not always easy to get into the open economy and we therefore expanded our craft training with the appointment of a full time instructor. Through this course people with a visual impairment can develop skills that would help them to be economically active and generate some income.
The ability to move around independently and to travel safely becomes a major factor in the integration of visually impaired people into society. Our Orientation and Mobility programme helped three (3) students at the local Universities. A further 37 newly blinded adults have been trained to travel independently, commuting to and from work or shopping places. We acknowledge the financial support given by the John and Esther Ellerman Memorial Trust for this work.
RURAL OUTREACH
Our work in the rural areas is expanding. Our team will increase the time spent in each area to do more independence training. The recent outreach identified 42 new clients. It was obvious that many more people need our attention and we therefore decided to adapt the programme accordingly.
We produced 18 rigid long canes and distributed 2 folding canes; 1 symbol cane; 3 money identification sticks and 1 liquid level indicator.
Overall, the rural outreach initiative is very fruitful indeed. Many new clients are identified; assistance provided to many in terms of basic training and assistive devices demonstrated and supplied. Even the smaller towns in the Western Cape now have a greater awareness about LOFOB and the services available to the blind community.
We acknowledge the funding from the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund which made it possible for LOFOB to continue with outreach work in the rural communities of the Western Cape.
PREPARING FOR INCLUSIVE EDUCATION
Inclusive education will become a reality in the near future and LOFOB has been called upon to assist blind learners at regular schools, their parents, educators and facilitators to ease into the new system. The programme we offer includes: consultation with educators on various adaptation techniques, Braille training with learning support educators and facilitators, a disability awareness programme with learners to sensitise the sighted learners to visually impaired learners and orientation and mobility.
SPORT AND RECREATION
Funding from the NLDTF, (the Lotto) helped us to acquire necessary sporting equipment. Our tandem cycles have now been repaired and a new team of blind cyclists will be participating in the regular cycling events around Cape Town. Our blind cricket team is doing well.
LOFOB provide transport for the blind bowlers to their practices every weekend. The Beacon Club is assisted with venue and transport once a month.
LOW VISION SERVICE
The implementation of our Low Vision service is well underway. The official opening will coincide with World Sight Day in October 2006. This service includes functional vision assessment and advice to help patients maximise the benefits from, optical devices. We hope to form partnerships with the local University of Technology to bring such services closer to the people. The deployment of Community Health Workers will assist us greatly in serving the Low Vision community.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Sustaining a service such as the one offered by LOFOB is extremely costly. The major cost is the employment of appropriate professionals. The current trend in funding is that major funders do not wish to fund salaries, not realizing that a service to blind people requires professional people and not so much equipment and materials. We therefore value the partnerships we have been able to develop with our regular funders. Without their support it would not be possible to do this very important work. Certain funding partners have been with us for many years and continue to support this work. All our funders are acknowledged in our donors list.
Our major funder is the State through the Dept of Social Services and Poverty Alleviation of the Western Cape. We are pleased to be the agent of the State in enhancing the quality of life of a community in need. We record our thanks to the Western Cape Provincial Administration officials who work with us in ensuring a quality service to blind and partially sighted people.
We continue to be a pay point for pensions. Pensions are delivered to the homes of those people who are unable to collect it on pension days. The administration continues with food relief where necessary.
Braille documents are also produced at LOFOB for blind people and friends of blind people who wish to communicate in braille.
FINANCES
The full audited statements are available at our offices. The following are the main elements:
BALANCE SHEET
Assets R
Property, Plant and equipment R 4 130 122
Current Assets R 1 727 351
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Total assets R 5 857 473
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Reserves and liabilities
Accumulated funds R 4 996 874
Non Current Liabilities R 277 299
Current Liabilities R 583 300
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Total equity and liabilities R 5 857 473
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INCOME STATEMENT
Income from all sources R 4 999 922
Expenditure (R 4 692 334)
Surplus from operations R 307 588
Net finance costs R 111 389
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Net surplus R 418 977
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DONATIONS - GENERAL
We wish to pay special tribute to the Principals, teachers, and learners of schools who support LOFOB regularly.
We recognize especially the support given by churches.
Please note that donations received after the 31st of March 2006 would be reflected in next year's report.
We acknowledge the various anonymous and in-kind donations received. We receive bread regularly, tinned food and vouchers from Hebrew Congregation of Wynberg and amongst many others clothing from the clothing guild. Many people also bring cooked food to the hostels. All such donations are carefully recorded.
DONATIONS 2005/2006
DONATIONS IN KIND
CHURCHES
Calvyn Protestant Church - Lansdowne Calvyn Protestant Church - Paarl Catholic Church - Athlone Church of the Resurrection - Bonteheuwel New Apostolic Church - Hazeldene St Faith’s Church - Plumstead St John The Evangelist Anglican Church St Martin’s Anglican Church - Bergvliet Vereenigde Gereformeerde Kerk - Lotus River
SCHOOLS
Eurecon Primary School Mandalay Primary School Hillwood Primary School Norwood Primary School Hazeldene Primary Eureka Primary School Floreat Primary Schoonspruit Sekonder - Malmesbury Sederberg Primary Montessori School Hermanus Heritage College - Claremont Clanwilliam Secondary School Bergsig Primary School De Kuilen Primary Parkview Primary - Atlantis Kerria Primary - Atlantis Saxonsea Primary - Atlantis Charleston Hill Secondary Mohammadeyeh Muslim School Cloetesville Senior Secondary Sunnyside Primary Fairview Primary Somerset College Newfields Primary Avondale Primary
BUSINESSES
ATKV Dames - Tygerberg Bidvest Group Limited C & E Harding Charitable Trust Cassiem’s Moslem Butchery Chikro Wholesalers Clicks SA (PTY) LTD Diamond’s Discount Liquor EM Paruk Charity Trust First Plumstead Scouts Galaxy & Co Greater Cape Town Civics Alliance Imperial Holdings International Women’s Club Cape Town Investec Bank LTD James De Gouveia Insurance Brokers Lelliebloem Hulpdoodgenootskap Lewis Stores (PTY) LTD Lions Club - Bergvliet Mr Ismail (Absolute Eye Care) Pick ‘n Pay (Head Office) Princess Motor Centre Rex Trueform Clothing Co. LTD Roomaney’s Supply Store SANKFIN (PTY) LTD Sasol Limited Sea Point Senior Centre Standard Bank The Pact Trust Tuffy Brands (PTY) LTD Union of Jewish Women - Cape Town WBHO Construction Cape Western Cape Council for the Blind Wynberg Local Committee
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