africa blind sports organisation
Donation protected
My Story, Motivation and Vision
Disability, A Different Normalcy!
I’m Fritz Festus Bisau, born in 1994 and raised in Kenya until I was nine. I was born with total blindness in both eyes, with doctors being unable to give a precise diagnosis on the cause. Doctors explained that this state would never change, even with medical intervention. But this has not stopped me. The determination to succeed is coupled with a highly supportive family, including my parents and two siblings.
Thus, I undertook most of my early schooling in Kenya, at a mainstream school which has a learning resource centre for the visually impaired. I acquired a variety of skills, including literacy skills using brail, as well as mobility skills using a cane for the blind. Equally, for inexplicable reasons, my parents decided to buy me a tricycle during this early part of my childhood, precisely at the age of two. As I experimented in riding the tricycle, I began to discover what I regard as an extra-ordinary tool, that not only enhances my mobility, but also helps me to ride a bike to this day. It is known as Echo-Location. The concept is very simple but highly effective. Used by Bats, it involves a click by the tongue, which travels and bounces off any near-by objects and is then detected by the hearer. The hearer is then able to avoid objects if they are riding a bike.
At age nine, I moved to Switzerland, due to my father’s line of work with the United Nations. In Switzerland, I completed my early education at the best school for the visually impaired in Lausanne.
At age twelve, I moved to England, where I completed my middle school and high school education, as well as my undergraduate studies. I made the decision to study in the UK after identifying the best school for visually impaired learners in the world, based in Worcester, central England. It is during my high school studies, that I became truly enlightened about sport for the visually impaired. Over a six to seven year period, I took part in various blind football and blind rifle shooting competitions in which I performed extremely well. For instance, I won my school’s trophy in blind rifle shooting for six consecutive tournaments.
As I took part in these sports, I began to envision the Africa Blind Sports. My desire was, and still is, to create an institution and environment that facilitate access to a variety of sports to visually impaired persons who wish to actively engage in sport but have hitherto lacked the opportunity to do so. I have specifically chosen Africa not only because of my origins, but most importantly because there exists a huge gap in terms of empowering visually impaired persons in Africa relative to other parts of the world, in different sectors and sport is no exception. Just as a lack of proper physical infrastructure has impeded a quality sporting environment for able-bodied athletes, it has also impeded a quality sporting environment to disabled athletes. The situation is made worse for visually impaired and other disabled athletes due to ignorance and illiteracy in many of the communities in which they live.
Thus, being a disabled individual, my ultimate vision is to create a fully-fledged sports centre in Kenya, that is not only capable of hosting a variety of sports, but in a way that is friendly and meaningful to the visually impaired across Africa. My experience as a disabled person, as well as my exposure to sport for the visually impaired places me in the best position to achieve this goal. The centre will be the physical embodiment of the Africa Blind Sports Organisation and what it represents.
However, the existence of this centre will only be meaningful to the visually impaired if they are empowered with basic skills such as mobility and introductory sportive skills. Even as I seek to create this centre, I’m embarking on a basic empowerment program in institutions of learning for the visually impaired and communities with visually impaired persons starting with my native Kenya. This program will be carried out in phases. These simultaneous programs will require a considerable amount of money hence my desire to raise £500,000 or roughly $750,000 after comprehensive calculations. The funds raised will specifically be used to achieve the following:
* The creation of the virtuel or computerised models of the envisaged centre, in order to bring the abso and recreational centre to life, after which land will be identified and construction initiated:
* The purchase of basic pieces of critical equipment for empowerment of the visually impaired including a consignment of 2000 guide and symbol canes to assist different groups of visually impaired persons that I have identified across Kenya with their mobility. I also wish to purchase 1000 brail and talking watches, so as to assist these same groups with knowing the time. The cane program is entitled Let’s Move About, while the watches program is entitled Let’s Know the Time. This empowerment program includes empowering close to 1000 school-going students as well as 100 undergraduate students and persons who have been left at home, with the same items: the
* To purchase 100 blind footballs and blindfolds, that will be taken to different institutions of learning for the visually impaired across Kenya. This is being done with the specific objective of introducing a culture of sports in schools for visually impaired learners:
* The canes will be purchased from Ambu tech in Canada, while the watches will be purchased from the RNIB in the UK:
* The footballs and blindfolds will be purchased from two major companies; Handi life Sport and Alive and Kicking:
* To promote the Africa Blind Sports in schools for visually impaired learners and amongst the visually impaired community as a whole by giving close to 1000 pairs of sports t-shirts and shorts that have the Africa Blind Sports logo. The sports ware will be used by students during Physical Education lessons and during sporting events organised by the Africa Blind Sports:
* The sports ware will be purchased from Nike and Adidas shops in Dubai:
* The subsequent printing of the Africa Blind Sports logo onto the sports ware will be done by Dubai-based reputable printing firms:
Within the context of my work, it is worth noting that I have already carried out a number of charitable work in Mitoto primary/secondary school for the visually impaired in Kiminini constituency, in the semi-autonomous region or county of Trans Nzoia, which is part of Western Kenya, during August of 2015 and January of 2016. The work done so far has involved showing students some basic skills such as dribbling using Blind Footballs, as well as donating two small bicycles for their usage.
While the amount I seek to raise is undoubtedly ambitious, it is by no means unrealistic, and here's how your donations can help:
If five hundred thousand of you good people would just donate one pound each, the target will be met. In other words, if seven hundred and fifty thousand of you good people would just donate one dollar each, the target will be met.
In conclusion, I will be requiring these funds by December 2020 so please as many of you as possible contribute!
Lastly, it is my strongest belief that we are all born to fulfil a God-given assignment, hence my choice to embark on this ambitious but achievable charitable cause. Equally, the Africa Blind Sports believes in absolute transparency, thus all funds obtained will be prudently put to the specific uses for which they are intended.
God bless you all, and remember the slogan, Disability, A Different Normalcy!
For any further general or specific queries, please email [email redacted].
Disability, A Different Normalcy!
I’m Fritz Festus Bisau, born in 1994 and raised in Kenya until I was nine. I was born with total blindness in both eyes, with doctors being unable to give a precise diagnosis on the cause. Doctors explained that this state would never change, even with medical intervention. But this has not stopped me. The determination to succeed is coupled with a highly supportive family, including my parents and two siblings.
Thus, I undertook most of my early schooling in Kenya, at a mainstream school which has a learning resource centre for the visually impaired. I acquired a variety of skills, including literacy skills using brail, as well as mobility skills using a cane for the blind. Equally, for inexplicable reasons, my parents decided to buy me a tricycle during this early part of my childhood, precisely at the age of two. As I experimented in riding the tricycle, I began to discover what I regard as an extra-ordinary tool, that not only enhances my mobility, but also helps me to ride a bike to this day. It is known as Echo-Location. The concept is very simple but highly effective. Used by Bats, it involves a click by the tongue, which travels and bounces off any near-by objects and is then detected by the hearer. The hearer is then able to avoid objects if they are riding a bike.
At age nine, I moved to Switzerland, due to my father’s line of work with the United Nations. In Switzerland, I completed my early education at the best school for the visually impaired in Lausanne.
At age twelve, I moved to England, where I completed my middle school and high school education, as well as my undergraduate studies. I made the decision to study in the UK after identifying the best school for visually impaired learners in the world, based in Worcester, central England. It is during my high school studies, that I became truly enlightened about sport for the visually impaired. Over a six to seven year period, I took part in various blind football and blind rifle shooting competitions in which I performed extremely well. For instance, I won my school’s trophy in blind rifle shooting for six consecutive tournaments.
As I took part in these sports, I began to envision the Africa Blind Sports. My desire was, and still is, to create an institution and environment that facilitate access to a variety of sports to visually impaired persons who wish to actively engage in sport but have hitherto lacked the opportunity to do so. I have specifically chosen Africa not only because of my origins, but most importantly because there exists a huge gap in terms of empowering visually impaired persons in Africa relative to other parts of the world, in different sectors and sport is no exception. Just as a lack of proper physical infrastructure has impeded a quality sporting environment for able-bodied athletes, it has also impeded a quality sporting environment to disabled athletes. The situation is made worse for visually impaired and other disabled athletes due to ignorance and illiteracy in many of the communities in which they live.
Thus, being a disabled individual, my ultimate vision is to create a fully-fledged sports centre in Kenya, that is not only capable of hosting a variety of sports, but in a way that is friendly and meaningful to the visually impaired across Africa. My experience as a disabled person, as well as my exposure to sport for the visually impaired places me in the best position to achieve this goal. The centre will be the physical embodiment of the Africa Blind Sports Organisation and what it represents.
However, the existence of this centre will only be meaningful to the visually impaired if they are empowered with basic skills such as mobility and introductory sportive skills. Even as I seek to create this centre, I’m embarking on a basic empowerment program in institutions of learning for the visually impaired and communities with visually impaired persons starting with my native Kenya. This program will be carried out in phases. These simultaneous programs will require a considerable amount of money hence my desire to raise £500,000 or roughly $750,000 after comprehensive calculations. The funds raised will specifically be used to achieve the following:
* The creation of the virtuel or computerised models of the envisaged centre, in order to bring the abso and recreational centre to life, after which land will be identified and construction initiated:
* The purchase of basic pieces of critical equipment for empowerment of the visually impaired including a consignment of 2000 guide and symbol canes to assist different groups of visually impaired persons that I have identified across Kenya with their mobility. I also wish to purchase 1000 brail and talking watches, so as to assist these same groups with knowing the time. The cane program is entitled Let’s Move About, while the watches program is entitled Let’s Know the Time. This empowerment program includes empowering close to 1000 school-going students as well as 100 undergraduate students and persons who have been left at home, with the same items: the
* To purchase 100 blind footballs and blindfolds, that will be taken to different institutions of learning for the visually impaired across Kenya. This is being done with the specific objective of introducing a culture of sports in schools for visually impaired learners:
* The canes will be purchased from Ambu tech in Canada, while the watches will be purchased from the RNIB in the UK:
* The footballs and blindfolds will be purchased from two major companies; Handi life Sport and Alive and Kicking:
* To promote the Africa Blind Sports in schools for visually impaired learners and amongst the visually impaired community as a whole by giving close to 1000 pairs of sports t-shirts and shorts that have the Africa Blind Sports logo. The sports ware will be used by students during Physical Education lessons and during sporting events organised by the Africa Blind Sports:
* The sports ware will be purchased from Nike and Adidas shops in Dubai:
* The subsequent printing of the Africa Blind Sports logo onto the sports ware will be done by Dubai-based reputable printing firms:
Within the context of my work, it is worth noting that I have already carried out a number of charitable work in Mitoto primary/secondary school for the visually impaired in Kiminini constituency, in the semi-autonomous region or county of Trans Nzoia, which is part of Western Kenya, during August of 2015 and January of 2016. The work done so far has involved showing students some basic skills such as dribbling using Blind Footballs, as well as donating two small bicycles for their usage.
While the amount I seek to raise is undoubtedly ambitious, it is by no means unrealistic, and here's how your donations can help:
If five hundred thousand of you good people would just donate one pound each, the target will be met. In other words, if seven hundred and fifty thousand of you good people would just donate one dollar each, the target will be met.
In conclusion, I will be requiring these funds by December 2020 so please as many of you as possible contribute!
Lastly, it is my strongest belief that we are all born to fulfil a God-given assignment, hence my choice to embark on this ambitious but achievable charitable cause. Equally, the Africa Blind Sports believes in absolute transparency, thus all funds obtained will be prudently put to the specific uses for which they are intended.
God bless you all, and remember the slogan, Disability, A Different Normalcy!
For any further general or specific queries, please email [email redacted].
Organizer
Abso Abso
Organizer
England
