18-year-old Bheki was writing his final matric exams when he lost his eyesight due to congenital hydrocephalus (a condition he was born with). As a result, he didn’t pass matric which was devastating for him. He had worked hard in school and had dreams for himself. It seemed as if those dreams were crushed. Bheki and his family approached the social worker at the Pietermaritzburg Rehabilitation Centre for counselling as Bheki had become depressed.
Through counselling, Bheki was helped to deal with his feelings regarding the loss of his eyesight and his poor matric results. He was encouraged to set new goals for himself. Bheki agreed to participate in a learnership that would equip him with skills to start a small business. The social worker put him in touch with learnership resources and he enrolled in a learnership for Business Management. Bheki was grateful for the opportunity. He utilised what he had learned and started saving money from his disability grant. He bought a brush cutter and started a business to cut grass in community.
His business grew and he hired 2 persons to assist him in his business. However, Bheki still had a dream of completing matric. The social worker referred him to the Second Chance Matric Support Programme (SCMP) run by Department of Education. This programme helps persons with disabilities to complete their matric. Bheki was accepted at SCMP and has enrolled to complete his matric this year. Surely with the right support and resources, Bheki will achieve all his dreams!
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