SERVICES

Who receives from Nkosinathi Foundation?

There are many causes for blindness, and blindness is no respecter of persons therefore the recipients of our services are people of all ages, all races, all religions and all levels of education.

As we provide services that are tailored towards loss of sight and independence training we have certain criteria for our clients receiving services.

The service recipients must be:

• Blind or Partially Sighted(i.e. their sight cannot be corrected by surgery or conventional spectacles)
• Family members of the blind or partially sighted person
• As well as significant others, such as, other loved ones in the blind persons life, main stream school teachers, university & college staff members, employers of blind and partially sighted people, co-workers of blind and partially sighted people, retirement home staff members, and hospital staff members.

Majority of the Foundations clients live below the South African poverty line, and therefore need assistance with combating socio and economical challenges as well as challenges related to the loss of sight.

All services offered at Nksoinathi Foundation are done so free of charge.

Recipients of Service Demographics

Through our rehabilitation services our clients have a higher chance of accessing opportunities that will allow them to become an active member of their community again, as well as to be able to better their lives socially, financially and personally, as well as aid them in rebuilding their self worth.

In this programme, blind and partially sighted adults and their families are offered:

Emotional Support

• Individual Counselling
• Family Counselling
• Training and Support Groups
• Social & Activities Group

Living Skills Training

• Orientation and Mobility Training
• Provision of Long Canes
• Adapted Skills of Daily Living Training
• Access to Special Equipment
• Braille Literacy Training
• Referrals for Audio Equipment and Materials
• Residual Vision Assessment
• Residual Vision Training
• Prescription of low Vision Aids
• Access to Low Vision Aids
• Training in the use of Low Vision Aids

These comprehensive rehabilitation services are provided at the Nkosinathi Foundation premisses for the required number of session, and/or(depending on the type of service), at the client’s home or work place for the required number of sessions.

It is important for our organisation to reach out and provide support and services to the blind and partially sighted communities in the rural areas of the Eastern Cape, as that is where majority of the need is for our services.

In this programme, blind and partially sighted adults and children who lose their sight, as well as their families who live in Rural Areas are offered:

Emotional Support

• Individual Counselling
• Family Counselling
• Training and Support Groups
• Social Groups

Living Skills Training

• Orientation and Mobility Training
• Provision of Long Canes
• Adapted Skills of Daily living Training
• Access to Special Equipment
• Braille Literacy Training
• Referrals for Audio Equipment and materials

These comprehensive rehabilitation services are provided by a team of Rural Rehabilitation Community Field Workers, who are active, well known members of their communities, with long standing relationships as well as an in-depth knowledge of the areas  that they work in and their surrounds.

The given services are provided at the client’s home, community halls and clinics in Rural Areas in the Eastern Cape.

We currently have Rural Rehabilitation Community Field Workers positioned in the following Rural  areas:

Area 1 – Clarkson, Kareedouw and the surrounding areas

Area 2 – Hankey, Patensie, Loerie and the surrounding areas

Area 3 – Addo, Paterson and the surrounding areas

Area 4 – Kirkwood and its surrounds

All blind children living in Rural Areas are also immediately referred to our Organisations professionals in order to provide relevant services and ensure the blind children has access to formal education.

Nkosinathi Foundation places special importance and urgency of delivery of rehabilitation and support services for children who lose their vision.

It is crucial that these children are rehabilitated and their parents supported as early as possible, to ensure the children are placed into appropriate educational systems which will result in a full and productive life for the child, as well as prevent a life dependance on the State and on others.

In order to provide fully comprehensive and relevant services, we categorise our children’s programmes into three groups which is tailored to the different age groups needs.

Aged 0 -3 years and their parents:

This programme offers:

• Hospital and Home Visits to the parents and child by our professional team
• Counselling and Support for the Parents
• Guidance for the parents on Stimulation and Development of the Baby
• Provision of Food Parcels when needed
• Introduction to the Foundation’s Pre School Group Facilitator

Aged 4- 7 years, and their parents:

This programme consists of:

• Pre School Group at Nkosinathi Foundation for Pre School Learning, Stimulation and Activities
• Provision of breakfast, lunch and a snack for the pre school group children
• Introduction to Orientation and Mobility Training for the Children
• Continued Guidance for the parents on the development of the child
• Guidance and Assistance with applications to Primary Schools
• School holiday Recreational/Educational Actives
• Introduction to Adapted Daily Living Skills Training for the child

Aged 8 – 18 years, and their parents:

This programme offers:

• Orientation and Mobility Training
• Provision of Long Canes
• Adapted Skills of Daily Living Training
• Access to Special Equipment
• Braille Literacy Training
• Referrals for Audio Equipment and Materials
• Residual Vision Assessment
• Residual Vision Training
• Counselling for the Child
• School Holiday/Educational Activities
• Prescription of Low Vision Aids
• Access to Low Vision Aids
• Training in the use of Low Vision Aids
• Counselling for the parents
• Guidance for the parents on development of the child
• Guidance and Assistance with applications to relevant schools

These comprehensive rehabilitation services are provided at the Nkosinathi Foundation premisses and/or(depending on the type of service), at the children home.

Having to look after oneself, a family, running a household and being an active contributor to ones community and society in general all are responsibilities and challenges everyone must face and carry, regardless of if a person has a disability or not, yet for those who do have a disabiltiy

In this programme Blind and partially sighted adults are offered:

• Computer Training using Adapted Computer Software
• Braille Literacy Training
• Electronic Low Vision Equipment Training for Partially Sighted Trainees
• Orientation and Mobility Training for the trainees
• Relevant Adapted Daily Living Skills Training
• Personal Development Training
• C.V. Writing Skills Training
• Job Interview Skills Training
• Communications relation to Work Relationship Training
• Introduction to Tertiary Education and Assistance with Applications
• Introduction to the Open Labour Market and Job Shadowing Training

This programme runs for a 10 month period at a time, and takes place at the Nkosinathi Foundation premises.

Included in this programme is access to The Nkosinathi Foundation Internet Café for Blind and Partially Sighted People, the first internet café for blind and partially sighted persons in the Eastern Cape.

Comprehensive Audio Library

The Nkosinathi Foundation Audio Library boasts over 200 titles, ranging from the great classics, such as The Great Expectation by Charles Dickens to new series that have taken the world by storm, such as the Twilight Series.

The Foundations Audio Library also contains a few Braille converted titles, as well as audio books on cassette tapes.

If you are interested in taking out one or more of these titles out on loan please email services@nkosinathifoundation.org.

Assistance through Social Relief

As many of our clients are facing socio and economical challenges along with the challenges associated with the loss of sight we try our best to help provide them with skills in order to combat these challenges, as well as practical help.

Practical ways that the Foundation combats these challenges are:

• All our services and programmes offered to clients are free of charge
• Food and Care parcels are handed out with discretion
• Assistance with Transport fees to and from the Foundation, where services are being received
• Majority of clients receiving services at our premises receive daily a warm meal during their training

Internet Café

In 2015 Nkosinathi Foundation established the first Internet Café for Blind and Partially Sighted People in the Eastern Cape.

The internet café is available free of charge(by appointment) to all Blind and Partially Sighted Clients and Members of the Foundation.

Nurse Training & Awareness

Each year we partner with the Nelson Mandela University Department of Nursing Science as a part of their Community Resource Project. We give an awareness talk about the work that our organisation does, sensitization towards blind and partially sighted persons, soft skills training, such as sighted guide training as well as equip them on how to be aware and treat blind and partially clients in their given work spaces.

We also provide hard skill and soft skill rehabilitation training to nurses when requested.

Income Generating Training

This training was created to as a solution for blind and partially sighted people who cannot find work in the open labour market. In the programme blind and partially sighted people are trained in skills to run a micro business from their home and a small start up capital is given to each person who undergoes this training.

Advocacy and Awareness

We advocate on behalf of blind and partially sighted people with government departments, health providers, educational facilities, prospectives employees and other parties about the rights of persons with visual impairments.

We work hard at increasing awareness in the community about the rights of, and services for, blind  and partially sighted people.

We also offer awareness talks about our organisation, the work that we do, sensitisation and the rights of blind and partially sighted people to schools, businesses and any other interested parties, with the aim to keep Breaking the Barriers of Blindness.

Short Term Accommodation

In certain circumstances, we offer short term accommodation for those whoa re undergoing rehabilitation training. This service is usually offered to people from rural areas and to survivors of violence or trauma, who have lost their sight as a result of such incidents.

Vegetable Garden

In order to combat the economical constraints many of our clients, particularly in the rural areas face, we provide training on how to start, maintain and benefit from a vegetable garden. All the items needed to start the gardens are sourced and provided to the interested group.

Training to professionals, companies, organisations and interested parties

In order to break down the negative and misinformed stereotypes surrounding blind and partially sighted people, especially in the work force, we provide awareness talks and training to businesses to help provide them with the knowledge and tools necessary to employ a person who is blind or partially sighted. We provide businesses with assertive device, software and technology advice and recommendations, as well as help them ensure that their business, premises, website and social medias are accessible.

To enquire about this project please email awareness@nkosinathifoundation.org

Trauma Debriefing

This is offered to all who have lost their sight partially or completely as a result of violence or trauma. This service is also available to the families and loved ones of the survivors.

Low Vision Resource Centre

Nkosinathi Foundation offers its clients and members the opportunity to come to our premises (by appointment) to see what Low Vision Equipment is on offer, to test the different options to find a suitable choice, as well as to use the equipment for their personal use at our premise.