Former teacher helping others after losing eyesight in classroom accident

A former Qonce teacher who lost his eyesight in a freak classroom accident 22 years ago has overcome the tragedy through helping others with similar disabilities to learn how to cope.

Zukisa Kenneth Skoti, 51, is the founder and director of the nonprofit Sinako Organisation For The Blind, established in 2017 in Ethembeni Village, Qonce.

His work has resulted in him elected as vice-chair of Blind SA in the Eastern Cape.

The avid community builder was an enthusiastic 29-year-old teacher, involved in soccer, when he became permanently blind in 2002.

“This was after an accident inside a classroom at Jityaza Primary School in Tyutyu village near Qonce.

“A brick fell and hit me on one side of my head,” Skoti said.

His NPO aims to empower blind people with skills and knowledge that enables them to live life to the full.

Skoti said he encouraged people to accept their situation and learn how to cope.

Skoti, who runs the NPO on his meagre social grant, is assisted by his wife Mandisa and their sons, aged 24, 16, and 12.

The NPO has 25 registered members — 16 women and nine men — and 12 volunteers and four caregivers.

“We provide programmes such as Braille teaching, the operation of daisy reading machines, goal ball, craft work, ploughing for those who are partially blind, and we engage in social issues and programmes such as awareness and community cleaning campaigns,” he said.

Zinikele Freddie, who nominated Skoti for the Local Heroes Awards, said he not only assisted disabled people “but also those who have welfare problems, the elderly, and the frail”.

“He has proved that people living with disabilities can contribute positively to community development and empowerment.

“He has assisted more than 70 elderly people receiving old age grants by securing additional help from Sassa to provide grants for people looking after them.

“Sometimes he uses his own money to take applicants to Stutterheim and Zwelitsha to have these services finalised by Sassa.

“He mobilises the community to collect medication for the sick from the local clinic,” Freddie said.

“He is an active member of the Old Apostolic Church and is an example to his village as community builder.”

Skoti said having to adapt to losing one’s eyesight was traumatic.

“The thing that can free you is to accept who you are and know how to cope with your situation.

“Being blind does not mean your dignity has been lowered or your abilities and potential are disabled.”

He said there were no blind centres and resources in rural areas, which led him to establish his nonprofit organisation.

“My wife serves as my PA and acts as the supervisor.

“My first born Nkwenkwezi, who assisted me in the group with technology, is now studying marketing but Akhanani, who is in grade 10, assists where his older brother left off.

“As a family, we work together recruiting for the organisation, and in its operations.

“That was my dream, to uplift the welfare of other people and contribute to the development of my community,” he said.

Skoti said people with disabilities were sadly still stigmatised.

“In most rural areas there is this stigma that if you are blind, it means you are unable to perform duties performed by an able-bodied person, so I wanted to prove this incorrect.”

However, lack of funding is a challenge.

“Previously we have requested food parcels from local stores for our nutrition programme as most of us rely on disability grants for survival.

“The nutrition programme at our centre encourages members to attend frequently including those who are diabetics as they can get something to eat when hunger prevails at their homes,” he said.

In 2023, the department of economic development, environmental affairs & tourism donated a container to the NPO, from which it operates.

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