SA Guide-Dogs empower lives one cane at a time
Last year, the association managed to provide 500 white canes to people living with visual impairments.
This year, the campaign calls on South Africans to help raise enough to fund the distribution of at least 1 000 white canes and essential orientation and mobility training. With donations towards a cane 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,' said Pieter van Niekerk, the spokesperson for the association.
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Mtale Moodise, a gym enthusiast from Cosmo City, who confidently walks himself to and from the gym with the help of his cane, is one of many who have benefitted from the campaign. There is also Mtale Modise, who lost her vision suddenly during matric, and after a year of adjustment and support, passed and is now studying psychology at the University of Pretoria.
Then there's Henrick van Reel , who lost his sight at age eight and today is a first-year law student with dreams of working in cybersecurity. Each of these lives was changed by something as simple and as powerful as a white cane.
The white cane provided by SA Guide-Dogs 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 signal to others that the user is visually impaired. This promotes safety, awareness, and inclusion in public spaces.
Read more: Become a puppy raiser for guide dogs
'Last year, South Africa helped raise enough to buy 500 white canes. This year, let's double the impact, one R50 donation at a time. Help SA Guide-Dogs provide 1 000 canes and unlock the world for more people who are blind or visually impaired,' added Van Niekerk.
To donate or set up your fundraiser at www.guidedog.org.za.
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