The League Of Friends Of the Blind, an NGO based in Grassy Park, says it’s in the business of changing lives, changing what it means to be blind or visually impaired – and at the same time, laying firm foundations for children at their Early Childhood Development Centres.

The organization was started on the 2nd of February, in 1933. The co-founder was Isaac Jacobs, who became blind at the age of 17 and could not gain formal education as there was no such institution in his area. He then started a campaign, setting up support and basic services, for the blind and visually impaired.

Involved in the programme for almost 40 years is Philip Bam, a community leader from Grassy Park. Bam says LOFOB is about developing human potential – to see that people get their rightful place in society and is treated with dignity. Through rehabilitation, blind people are taught to be independent again.

According to statistics, 5 million people, over the age of 5 years – are visually impaired in South Africa. According to the department of health, 1 in 2 000 children are visually impaired.

At LOFOB, people who become blind are retrained. They are empowered with skills to help them on their new life journey.

Bam says a young man who was shot in a gang shootout and had a bullet lodged in his head, had become blind. He turned his life around, after joining LOFOB, and represented the country as a blind cricketer at the Blind Cricket World Cup. Today he teaches other blind people and is also furthering his studies.

The NGO also helps with cataract removal. He says one person who sells chicken and had to give up his business because of cataracts, was later, given a new lease on life, when his cataracts were removed. He was able to start up his chicken selling business again, because he could see again.

Thank you Philip Bam and everyone at The League Of Friends Of The Blind, for changing lives, giving new insight – and helping the blind get new vision.

There is a coffee shop in Bonteheuwel. It’s a sentence I never thought I would say. In fact, it sounds so absurd to me that it could be the beginning of a joke. There are two reasons why this is such mind bending news to me.

Firstly, I grew up in Bonteheuwel, so of course I notice the news that comes from there; but it’s usually the kind of stories that I am ashamed of and angered by. It’s often stories of depravity and a disregard for life that has been normalised. Which brings me to the second and most ironic reason; as a symbol of social progress and suburban bliss, finding a coffee shop in the heart of gangland is an oddity, to say the least.

The double irony of it all is that a coffee shop in Bonteheuwel is in fact the thing that should have been normalised a long time ago. This past Sunday, local resident Aneesah Seale launched “That Coffee Shop” on a whim, after the idea struck her a few days earlier. It was a natural progression from what she had been doing for the past three years. She has become known as “The Cake Lady,” as she made a business out of baking cakes for all occasions. “I make any kind of cake for weddings, birthdays and anything else; from cheesecake to red velvet cake that melts in your mouth,” she says proudly.

Aneesah says her new venture seats 20 people in her front yard and has two counters which serve as a waiting area for those ordering takeaways. She says people are loving the idea of a local coffee shop and she has had enormous support and positive feedback. “We are open six days a week – from Tuesdays to Sundays and also serve roti and curry,” she explains.

Aneesah serves delicious desserts with her coffees, which range in price from R24 for a Latte, to R32 for a Cappuccino. And just like any respectable establishment in tourist havens, you also have the option of ordering an Americano or hot chocolate. Aneesah says she hopes “That Coffee Shop” in Firethorn Street will one day become so popular that it becomes a tourist attraction.

With her enterprising ventures, Aneesah has managed to provide jobs for five ladies and hopes to expand and create even more in future. It is a perfect example of the industrious spirit of people on the Cape Flats, which has given birth to many brilliant ideas and creative individuals over the years.

The deprivation is often the chief focus and there are a handful of gangsters who make life miserable for the residents. But if enough ideas like this could see the light of day, serving as examples to young people for what can be done with some effort and commitment, then the tide can be turned. What Aneesah needs now is support and encouragement, so her business can grow and create effort more opportunities for others.

I believe there are two types of people. Those who complain about a problem, and those who get involved to do something about it. Sue van der Linde is the latter.

After returning from the UK, Sue came home to South Africa with the intention of joining an organization that provided palliative and respite care to children in the Cape. She had spent her eight years working with organizations that did this type of work, and was keen to put that practical experience to good use at home.

“However, when I looked around I couldn’t find a version of respite care and children’s hospice services, at least not the kind I had experienced in the UK. I had two choices – walk away, or do it myself,” she tells me.

This led to the birth of what is now known as Iris House Children’s Hospice in May 2011. By the end of the year, Iris House had 12 registered families, very little support and only two volunteers. Everything was done from her home and from her husband’s office.

“We were looking for a building to use as a base for our work, and found a derelict building in Stikland in 2015. Lots of blood, sweat and tears went into fixing it up and turning it into what you see today; a best practice children’s hospice.”

The opening of the building, she adds, also meant that they could now expand on their community based service (where counselors come to your home) by offering therapy services at the hospice building, as well as the services of a nurse and physio. They even run literacy programs and surfing lessons.

“We are now sitting on more than 400 children. Goodness knows where we will be this time next year, because we still haven’t even scratched the surface.”

Listening to the passion in Sue’s voice for the work she does, and keeping in mind that all the children they care for have some sort of life-limiting condition, it is clear that a great future lies ahead for Iris House. It started small, but it has achieved so much for people in need.

And that, for me, is the real difference that can be made when people decide to roll up their sleeves and get involved.

Get in touch with the Iris House team on 021 910 1578, email info@iris-house.org or visit https://iris-house.org/contact-us/

With all the negative news surrounding us lately, it is always a breath of fresh air to see our faith in humanity restored. Joshua Cox, from Fix Forward, is doing just that.

Fix Forward, (formerly Trade-Mark) is a non-profit social enterprise dedicated to connecting homeowners and businesses wanting to renovate, with hand-picked quality tradespeople. Having seen first-hand how basic marketing resources and a good reference helped a struggling tradesman friend secure work, Cox established Fix Forward in 2012 to help others achieve similar success.

Starting with just 12 tradesmen, Fix Forward has grown their pool to over 60 registered tradesmen. Seeing such a large growth over the few short years gives the team the ability to connect more clients to quality tradesmen.

“I wanted to build an idea that added value to society and contributed positively to the progress of this country, and other developing countries around the world. By seeing our continued growth, I would like to think I am on track” said Cox.

One of the biggest problems faced in the industry – which is a longstanding challenge – is that clients often aim to pay as little as they can and still expect exceptional service. Fix Forward aims to change that mind-set to one where their clients can get fair value for money instead.

“We need to get clients to understand that paying a little bit more is in their best interest for quality work. Overcoming this will have to involve communicating to clients what a fair price actually is – particularly because the tradesmen come from lower income areas, there is a perception that the job will be a ‘cheap deal’. Fix Forward is all about positioning our service as a quality service, not a cheap one!”

Quality service has been proven over and over again with various tradesmen from the Fix Forward programme.

Sulayman Damon, has been in the building industry for 14 years and with Fix Forward for nine months. “Before joining Fix Forward, it was tough as a SME to get work. It was a struggle not knowing where the next job was coming from. But I have received consistent work from Fix Forward and because of that my company has grown and my profile has grown as well.” Said Damon.

Fix Forward offers mentoring, e-Learning, personal coaching, and workshop sessions all designed to develop each tradesmen’s skill in managing and growing a business. The e-learning courses can take anything from a week to a month to complete, depending on the tradesman’s commitment and schedule. The workshops, which run for about 10 months, are based on the curriculum in the e-learning courses in order to encourage tradesmen to develop a study plan that best suits their schedule as early as possible.

The courses cover areas such as Managing Finances, Effective Marketing, Professional Quoting, Project Management as well as Tax and Compliance. “I learnt how to deal with people and how to have the right approach when things don’t go my way. Furthermore, learning about negotiation has helped me get a lot more of my quotes accepted” said Fix Forward graduate, John Hopley.

If you would like to get in touch or find out more visit www.fixforward.com

The call-centre industry is growing in leaps and bounds in Cape Town, so if you answer a call from someone trying to sell you insurance or a new phone contract, they are probably sitting in an office somewhere in the Mother City. So let’s be nice, shall we?

In all seriousness though, the job creation potential of the industry was spotted several years ago by the Western Cape Government and City of Cape Town and they actively sought to lure investors from abroad to open up their call-centres here in Cape Town.

And it’s paying off.

The City says just between July and December 2018, just over 2200 job opportunities were created via so-called Special Purpose Vehicles, which offers incentives to companies to invest here, translating in investments of over R1,8 billion.

The bulk of the jobs that were created were in the call-centres and off-shoring sector. Off-shoring is the practice where international companies move some of their processes or services overseas.

Youth from previously disadvantaged communities in the Cape Flats have benefitted from the employment opportunities on offer.

The City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Economic Opportunities and Asset Management, James Vos, says international companies are increasingly looking to Cape Town because we really have everything to offer.

The availability of a strong talent pool (which includes excellent English and an accent that the UK market finds acceptable), first-world infrastructure, significant cost savings, and a strong foundation in contact centres, are just some of what Cape Town has to offer firms abroad.

Amazon.com, the world’s largest online retailer, set up a call-centre in 2010 in Cape Town to service British, American and German clients. Other global companies that offer office services and operate in South Africa include Teleperformance, Mindpearl Group and Chase Response.

With over 200 000 South Africans currently employed to service clients abroad, James Vos says his goal is to grow the sector even further.

“My immediate priority has been to schedule engagements with key sectors and business partners to understand their challenges, and further explore growth opportunities. Together we are going to ensure optimal return from our joint efforts.”

We might not always like getting a phone call from a call-centre agent, but they are just doing their jobs, so try and be polite!