THE blind adventurer who “turned a stumbling block into a stepping stone,” Chris Venter, visited Gqeberha recently and inspired young and old with his stories of adventure.
Venter, who lost his sight ten years ago when he contracted a virus, has since sailed a yacht, flown a gyrocopter, climbed Mount Etna, kayaked the Mediterranean Sea, and ridden everything from a Porsche to a horse.
Partnering with the non-profit organisation Bona uBuntu in Gqeberha, he inspired visually impaired children at his recent talk hosted at the Caritas Service Centre in Newton Park.
He encouraged the children to not limit themselves, but to be who they want to be. “Blind people can do anything and lead a full, fun, and fruitful life. In an accessible world, a blind person can do anything a sighted person is able to do,” said Venter.
The adventurer, who has raced around Killarney International Raceway in Cape Town with 22 multifaceted means of mobility, including a Land Rover, an ambulance, a fork-lift, a tractor, an ice cream bicycle, and even a custom-built kayak on wheels, admitted that his biggest challenge has been building a house from the ground up.
Venter handled every aspect of building his family home, from drawing the plans to selecting materials. Using creative alternatives, he was able to do it all. A docuseries of this amazing feat, called Building Blind, is available online.
A blind learner, Blake (16), enjoyed Chris’s talk and said it affirmed his desire to study law in the U.S. one day.
Earlier on in the day, Venter also visited Khanyisa School for the Visually Impaired in KwaDwesi, where he handed over white collapsible mobility canes to some of the children and entertained them with his stories of adventure.
The handover formed part of a road trip across the Eastern Cape by Venter and his team, which includes his trusty guide dog, Sam.
The white cane handover was made possible thanks to a partnership with the United States-based organisation, YouCaneGive, and included donations of solar-powered audio players.
In total, 90 white canes were donated to visually impaired people living in the Eastern Cape. Venter and his team will also visit East London, Mthatha, and Bizana.
Bona uBuntu is a collaboration between various stakeholders aimed at improving the quality of education and integration of visually impaired people in the Eastern Cape. Their mission is to ensure that blind and partially sighted children can live full and enriched lives and be fully included in all aspects of society.
White canes are critical independence tools, and this amazing gift will help children learn how to navigate their environment safely and confidently, said Robyn Fick, Bona uBuntu Coordinator.
Venter concluded, “If we stand still when we get knocked over, we will get nowhere. It is important to get up and keep moving by putting one foot in front of the other, and the road does get easier.”
Daniel (16), another visually impaired learner, enjoyed Venter’s humour and said he found his talk informative and inspiring. “We can do anything, I agree; our only restraint is ourselves.”
For more info, contact Robyn Fick at 082 928 1859 or coordinator@bonaubuntu.org
