Robert Malunda is the Founder and Director of the initiative. He is totally blind.
After facing challenges in accessing information when going to school and college, Robert Malunda researched on ways and means of how blind people could escape that predicament. He came to know that blind people can use a computer, not a special one but any other computer with the help of a screen reader. Alas, it was a success!
In 2015, he received a scholarship for social change makers in kanthari, located in Kerala, South India. He is also a 2017 YALI regional centre for Southern Africa (RLCSA) alumni. His dream is to impart the new knowledge to blind Zimbabweans –especially youths. This knowledge was mostly computer literacy. However, after realising that blind people could isolate themselves if they were to learn computers only, he came up with a curriculum for adding 2 other skills which would help demystify blindness in the community. After successfully graduating from kanthari, Gateway to Elation was started in 2016.
In Zimbabwe, blind people are seen as beggars and objects of charity. They are expected to sing and ask for money, pray and hope that God will take care of them. However, blind people can take good care of themselves if they learn how to. Therefore, Gateway to Elation has a unique curriculum which offers 3 different but related components:
- Gateway to Elation offers training in computer use. This will expose blind people to the world of information and knowledge. Here, blind people are trained how to manipulate the computer using the keyboard and the screen reader. They are also trained smart use of the internet and to see a computer as a tool.
- In order to be independent, we train our blind participants orientation and mobility. This involves training them on cane usage and other mobility skills. This enables them to explore their surroundings, do their shopping on their own, among other activities.
- To find friends they need to be socially interactive. For this they must have communication and team work skills. They need to know how to ask for favours or reject them amicably. In this regard, we’re offering adventure skills. Sometimes we do combine with sighted volunteers in mini treasure hunts through parks.
The vision of Gateway to Elation is to see a Zimbabwe which has knowledgeable, independent and socially active blind people.
Our mission is to provide world class skills training in computer literacy and daily living skills.
To find out more, please like our Twitter handle @ElationGateway (https://twitter.com/elationgateway)
Facebook: Gateway to Elation
Website: www.gatewaytoelation.org.
Thank you!
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