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AN INTRODUCTION TO PHILIP M BAM
Philip M Bam was born on 25th October 1948 in Hardevlei, (where Lavender Hill is situated to-day) on the Cape Flats of Cape Town. He matriculated at South Peninsula High School in 1966. He studied at the Calvinist Theological Seminary, and was ordained in 1973.
Because of his great interest in the affairs of the visually impaired community, Mr Bam resigned his full time ministry in 1979 to take up his present position as Executive Director of the League of Friends of the Blind [LOFOB]. He is however still active in the church, serving on its synodal commission on community affairs.
Mr Bam also holds the Diploma in Business Administration, 1st Class, from Executive Education, Cape Town, as well as a Diploma in Public Relations from the Centre for Management Development, Cape Town.
He represented LOFOB at the General Assembly of the World Blind Union since 1988 in various countries. He represented the South African National Council for the Blind at the first meeting of leaders of organisations "of" and "for" the blind of Southern Africa, held in Gaborone, Botswana. Mr Bam was one of two South African delegates to the African Union of the Blind Assembly in Addis Abiba, Ethiopia in 2000.
He has assiduously worked for the betterment of visually impaired South Africans, particularly those belonging to the disadvantaged community. He has travelled extensively overseas, where he studied methods used in centres for the visually impaired.
As Director of LOFOB he was personally responsible for the establishment of a new hostel in Grassy Park for 52 blind men. Under his able direction a community-based rehabilitation programme was established for low ability blind people in 1986. His latest development for the visually impaired community was the setting up of a programme for visually impaired pre-school children. Under his guidance a Work Centre creating employment for blind people was also established in 1988. This Centre also provided some job opportunities for unemployed people.
The Rotary club of Cape Town honoured him when he was presented with a VOCATIONAL SERVICE AWARD in recognition of his service to the community. In 1997 he was the recipient of the Louis Volks Humanitarian Award from Lions International District 410A. In October 2000 he was named a Melvyn Jones Fellow which is the highest international recognition afforded by Lions International for humanitarian service.
In October 1989 Philip Bam was elected the First Vice-Chairman of the South African National Council for the Blind, which position he held until end of 1995. In 2001 he was elected Deputy Chair of the South African National Council of the Blind. He also served as the Vice-Chairperson of the Western Cape Council for the Blind. His involvement in blindness issues extends to all aspects of the world of the blind and he was consequently invited to become a member of the St Dunstans organisation for people blinded in war. He is credited with the successful organising of the 6th General Assembly of the World Blind Union held in Cape Town in December 2004.
His interest in community affairs led him to become very intimately involved in the Rates campaign of LOGRA (Lotus River, Grassy Park, Ottery Residents Association) where he served as media spokesperson and one of the campaign leaders. He has, ever since, played a leading role in civic matters. He served as a Metropolitan Councillor as well as a Councillor on the Grassy Park Transitional Metropolitan Substructure until the elections in 1996 when he was directly elected as the ward councillor for Grassy Park on the South Peninsula Municipality. The minutes of the council meetings attest to his keen interest in matters affecting the community. During that time he was elected to serve on the Executive Committee of the Municipal Council.
Mr Bam has extensive contacts within the Grassy Park community. As LOGRA Chairperson he deals daily with numerous complaints by residents. Through his untiring efforts, LOGRA could play an active role in facilitating contact between officialdom and the residents. He was instrumental in the establishment of the LOGRA COMMUNITY SKILLS TRAINING CENTRE in 2001 which provides skill development in the field of plumbing, welding and electrical wiring to unemployed people.
He is currently serving as Secretary, having served as chairperson of the management board of the Haven Night Shelter Welfare Organisation providing nineteen shelters in the Western Cape.
Mr Bam is the Chairperson of the Grassy Park Community Police Forum.
He served as a founding trustee of NPO Management Coaching Organisation
He retired temporarily from local government politics in 2000 to focus on his work with blind people.
He has an interest in education. He served on the committee of Heathfield Pre-school Centre for 20 years. In 1995, he was invited to become a trustee of the Western Cape School Building Trust, an organisation funding the building of schools where the State cannot do so. He served on the Governing body of Plumstead High School.
Philip Bam is a recipient of community builder awards and has himself donated matric prizes for Afrikaans at the Grassy Park and Plumstead High Schools.
Mr Bam is an able administrator borne out by the fact that LOFOB has developed extensively to a position where it is recognised throughout the world as one of the best in its field.
He is considered to have expertise in the field of organisational development and management as well as fund-raising and consequently was called upon to present papers at Southern African leadership seminars.
He is an all-rounder, taking on issues ranging from bad housing in the sub-economic areas, community health matters, the ecology and the rights of the individual. He has often been called in as a mediator between dissenting groups within his community.
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