Firefly School for the Blind

I wrote in a post early last year, that there is a young man called Peter Ngong living in Nimule who is completely blind.  I have been trying to help him since he was in his mid-teens.  He is now around twenty years old.  His situation is as difficult and unsettled as ever.  His school place, which I mentioned in the previous post fell through because he got too frightened at the last minute by various gloomy predictions from those around him in Nimule.  In the end he completely refused to go.  This is the outcome of a lifetime of traumatic experiences.  A few months ago I suggested to him that he might do a vocational training course, but neither of us had any idea what would be possible at that time.

Two months ago we acquired a new teacher at Cece Primary School, who comes from a town called Atiak in Uganda, around 40 kilometres from Nimule.  One day I was telling him about the deaf children who I take to school in Uganda.  He responded by telling me that he has a good friend in Atiak called Alfred Okello, who is completely blind and has founded a vocational training institute specifically for blind people.  It is called Otet Uganda/Firefly School for the Blind.

Hearing about Firefly School, I immediately thought of Peter, who is sorely in need of education and work skills.  As mentioned in the previous blog post, he loves music.  Currently his sole occupation is playing the electric keyboard at church and setting up and repairing electric keyboards at other places such as churches and schools.  Although he gives a valuable service, he is not paid and relies completely on handouts from well-wishers.

My networking hat firmly in place, I thought of a woman called Sharon, who lives in Gulu and who is the founder of a local NGO called Mission Uganda which has a strong disability remit.  Sharon has a passion for assisting people with disabilities.  Here is a link to the Mission Uganda website. 

I decided to put Sharon in touch with Alfred and we all corresponded by email.  Alfred, on hearing about Peter, said that we really must meet up.  Alfred and Sharon made a day trip to South Sudan to meet Peter and me at the school. 

The meeting at our school.  Peter is standing
next to me, third from the left.
Alfred is next to him, followed by Sharon.

Peter arrived in his usual unkempt state, the result of lack of help from those he lives with.  He made a sharp contrast to Alfred, who was neatly dressed and shaved and very articulate.  Peter is so much in need of help to improve his life.  He is very bright, and I am sure that once he has found the right place and people his life will be very different.

The outcome of the meeting was beyond my wildest dreams.  Alfred offered Peter a job teaching keyboard and possibly also bass guitar and drums at Firefly School.  At the same time he will get plenty of opportunities to learn other skills which are on offer there, such as Braille, computer skills (using specially adapted computers for the blind) and academic subjects.  It will also be possible for him to learn livelihood skills such as agriculture, basket weaving, making liquid soap, making shoe cream out of burnt charcoal and beekeeping.  Beekeeping is extremely lucrative in our part of Africa as most people have very sweet teeth and the wax can be used for making shoe polish and candles.

One of many
aubergine plants
grown by Alfred.

Currently Firefly School is closed due to the Ugandan school lockdown, but Alfred is taking advantage of this time to do construction work, including accommodation and classrooms.  Once all is in place, Peter will finally be in a conducive environment where he can earn his keep without begging, and gain a much needed chance to develop his talents.  I am glad to say that Peter accepted the offer at once.  Let us hope he has learnt not to listen to his pessimistic neighbours and doesn’t change his mind.

Blind-friendly latrines

I made a trip to Uganda to visit Alfred at his school and was very impressed.  The school is in the countryside, a few kilometres out of town.  In spite of his blindness, Alfred is very keen on environmental issues and organic farming.  He uses his hands to feel the different leaves and identify the plants.  He has organised the construction of latrines with separate exit holes for urine and faeces.  The urine will be used as a pesticide and the faeces as manure.  This is the first time I have seen toilets of this type.  During the school lockdown he has been working with his family cultivating vegetables.  This will continue once the school reopens.

I am very happy to have found this new contact.  If Peter will accept the post there, he will be in a very conducive atmosphere, where he can build his self-confidence (sadly lacking) and earn his own living.  It will change his life.