Give a cane, give the visually impaired freedom

The Citizen

29-05-2025

Last year, SA raised enough funds to buy 500 white canes. This year, the aim is to double the impact, one R50 donation at a time.
After the success of the SA Guide-Dogs Association's inaugural Give a Cane Campaign in 2024, which provided 500 white canes to people living with visual impairments, the organisation has launched Give a Cane 2025 with an even bigger goal in sight.
This year, the campaign calls on South Africans to help raise enough money to fund the distribution of at least 1 000 white canes and essential orientation and mobility training. With donations starting at just R50, everyone can be part of someone's journey to independence.
'A white cane is so much more than a mobility aid; it's freedom, dignity, and the confidence to move through life independently,' says Pieter van Niekerk, the association's spokesperson.
Real lives. Real impact
Take Mtale Moodise, a gym enthusiast from Cosmo City, who confidently walks to and from the gym with the help of his cane. Or Ceala, who lost her vision suddenly during matric and, after a year of adjustment and support, passed her exams and is now studying psychology at the University of Pretoria.
Then there's Henrick, who lost his sight at age eight and is now a first-year law student with dreams of working in cybersecurity.
Each of these lives was changed by something as simple and powerful as a white cane.
The white cane the association provides is not a regular walking stick. It's a specialised mobility tool with a rounded ball tip, designed to detect changes in terrain—from sidewalks to tactile paving—and signals to others that the user is visually impaired. This promotes safety, awareness, and inclusion in public spaces.
Get involved
You don't have to walk alone, and you don't have to give big. A R50 donation helps bring someone closer to independence.
You can also:
• Host a dress-up day, walk-a-thon, or blindfold challenge at work or school;
• Encourage your book club, community, or running group to chip in;
• Start a R50 donation challenge at the office;
• Take part in an online gaming fundraiser;
• Walk, run, or cycle 50 km and get sponsored;
• And if you are a business, remember that donations are eligible for Section 18A tax certificates.
Join the movement. Help SA Guide-Dogs provide 1 000 canes and unlock the world for more blind or visually impaired people.
Donate now or set up your fundraiser at the South African Guide-Dogs Association.
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