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Update 4 - 23 July 2005

STRENGTH IN ADVERSITY
The most impressive encounter I had during our four day field trip to three major towns in Tigray was with a group of 30 blind people in Axum. The zonal head of ORSA had arranged the meeting.

It was a bright, quite warm sunny day. We met in a small room with one table, two chairs and two two metre long trestles so for most it was standing room only or sitting on the concrete floor. Ages ranged from about fourteen years to about sixty years - male and female although predominantly male.

The Group were members of the Axum Branch of the Tigray National Association of the Blind which had been formed eight months ago.

We asked some standard questions such as ‘what has it meant to you to be a member of he Association?” and “what would you like the Association to achieve” what are some of the major issues facing blind people in Axum? Initially we asked the same questions to six group members and then opened the discussions for all members.

To set the scene for readers; blindness / visual impairment is the major recorded disability in Tigray. There are limited opportunities for gaining an education or for receiving vocational training or employment. The majority of blind people rely on begging to survive.

…….. is a blind 18year old married young woman with a small baby. She also attends school when she can. Her hope is to continue her education and to be employed in the future. She would like the Association to become strong.

………is a 32 year old single man. Since becoming a member he has become more aware of the problems of blind people and feels that by sharing problems more support will be possible.
“I would like to be more like my normal friends and get an education”. He hopes that in the future there will be more opportunities for gaining education and employment.

……… is a 38 year single man. He believes that by joining together they can start to solve some of the problems facing blind people. He hopes there will more opportunities for gaining employment and some medical assistance. Assistance for elderly blind people is also a concern he expressed

……….is an 18 year old student. His father is dead and his mother lives in a village. He attends a government school and rents a ‘house’. He begs to get food and for rent for his shelter. His vision for the future for the Association and for himself is “To be more developed; to be free from begging and to be free from social barriers”.

………is 38 years of age and has two children. She hopes that together they can find some solutions to their problems and strive to get more training and medical assistance.

Three young members are attending the Ethiopian Church school but need to beg to get food.

Other comments:

………a bright young man of 17 years expressed his appreciation for the Association. He comes from ‘far away’ and is now a student in Grade 4 but he often has to miss school because he has to beg to get money for food. He said “ the young blind children should receive an education; adults should have opportunities to get employment and the elderly blind should be supported”
He was most impressive as he stood up straight and said
“We want to be treated as human beings; We are humans; We would like some equality”

………-a 39 year old single man offered thanks for the establishment of the Association. He said” the Association is young and as a young child needs assistance from his mother so the Association needs assistance”….”We are capable and we hope that the community will come to recognize our capacity and change its views about blind people”.

Other members also expressed their appreciation for the establishment of the Association and the desire for the Association to be strong and to be strengthened.

After two hours it was necessary to close the meeting as it was getting very hot in the small room and it was going into the afternoon and people had come to the meeting in the early am. We also found out that it was St Michaels Day which is a propitious day for begging – so many members had lost half a days earnings by attending the meeting. (Imagine our feelings on hearing this).

The Association was formed through the initiation and collaboration of three teachers who began by contacting some blind people in Axum who then contacted others. The process took two months and then a group was formed. The Association has its own regulations with the Committee meeting once a month with general meetings being called as necessary. Membership is 3 birr per year. ORSA has provided an office. There is a lack of ‘educated manpower’ within the group. A lottery fundraising event was organized to raise funds so some initiatives are being taken.

Kalayu – a blind musician who also works as a therapeutic masseur

Comments:
1. Education:
One concern expressed by many members was the future plan of the Ministry of Education to have classes for a whole day instead of the system that has been operating for some years being half-day classes. This has implications for the students who have to spend half a day begging thus missing out on a half day of schooling.

2. Attitudes:
Another issue and one that is well known are the attitudes within society towards the blind. Of particular significance was a statement made by medical staff last year when blind people were taken to the hospital during a typhoid epidemic “we don’t need to treat them- they are blind”. This of course will be raised with medical personnel in Mekelle and confirms again the need for awareness raising at all levels and within all disciplines.

3. Empowerment:
The dignity and strength of the members of the group was quite humbling. They were not asking for hand-outs but for some assistance and support during the formative stage. Through the process of sharing and promoting peer support the Group will become stronger. Additional strategies can be suggested to promote the empowerment process e.g. regular meetings to learn more about disability, ways and means of building capacity.

4. Begging:
The whole question of begging requires further research and enquiries. It would seem, to my understanding that ‘social protection’ and ‘safety net’ schemes that are being implemented in Ethiopia should have some provision for many of these vulnerable people. This factor will be discussed with the Authorities in Mekelle.

5. Listen and Learn:
The last comment was made by an elderly dignified blind man dressed in traditional garments who stood up and said;
“Thank you – this is the first time that anybody has asked us questions and listened to us”.

Helen Pitt, 23rd July 2005.