Visually impaired teacher excels against all odds

Sikhumbuzo Moyo, Senior Reporter

Imagine going to school blindfolded and copying notes from the chalkboard, while writing examinations in the same condition. 

This is a real life experience for a Bulawayo man. 

His two-year teacher training course at Hillside Teachers’ College more than a decade ago was a testimony of brute force and resilience and now, a qualified English teacher at Entumbane High School, he is still showing those characteristics in a field where any person in his position could have thrown in the towel.

For 42-year-old visually impaired Mr Jacob Gwenanguruwe, quitting has never been in his DNA. 

Regardless of the challenges that he may be facing like lack of learning and teaching material for the visually impaired, Mr Gwenanguruwe has soldiered on. 

During his training period, he was treated just like other students as the college did not have specialised training departments for people like him.

He had to contend with the seemingly insurmountable task of taking notes that were mostly written on chalkboards, that he could not see. 

Writing assignments was another mammoth obstacle as teachers would have challenges in marking if he used Braille, because they were not trained to read the special raised print used by visually impaired people.

He had to rely on the benevolence of his peers for assistance. 

“It is because of the grace of God that I pulled through college as I was just like any student because the college did not have a department for visually impaired persons like myself. I would rely on classmates and friends for reading and writing notes,” he told Chronicle.

Mr Gwenanguruwe said he persevered through his studies but what silently worried him was how he was going to write his final examinations that would be his gateway to the fulfilment of his desire, that of becoming a qualified teacher and helping other souls to also achieve their life dreams.

His concerns were miraculously erased when the National Council for the Blind came on board.

“I wrote my examinations using Braille after the National Council for the Blind transcribed the papers into Braille,” he said.

Braille is a universally accepted system of writing used by and for visually impaired persons and consists of a code of 63 characters, each made up of one to six raised dots arranged in a six-position cell. 

These Braille characters are embossed in lines on paper and read by passing the fingers lightly over the manuscript. It was invented by Louis Braille who became visually impaired at the age of three years in 1824.

After what can be described as college life battle victory, Mr Gwenanguruwe was deployed to Entumbane High School in January 2008 where he was to begin a new battle in a new field. It is a battle that he is still faced with especially on the tools of trade and every time he gets a new set of learners.

During his first days at the school, even his colleagues seemed to be sceptical of him, including the head of the school at the time.

“When I arrived at the school to officially assume duty, the then headmistress seemed to think it was a joke, she couldn’t believe it but I showed her my letter of deployment as proof that it wasn’t a prank. She asked how I was going to execute my duties naturally because of my condition and I explained to her confidently. For the first few days the same expression was with the other teachers but they eventually accepted me as I am but as for learners some of them continue having difficulty accepting especially those that are not in my class,” said Mr Gwenanguruwe.

Asked how he was conducting classes, the soft-spoken teacher said as per Government standing policy, all visually impaired teachers have assistants who are on a full payroll from the Government.

“While the actual teaching is done by me, my assistant is there for the purposes of writing notes on the board and marking. During marking she dictates to me everything word for word and I will tell her whether the learner is correct or not, we also prepare the lesson together with my assistant,” he said adding that some of his text books are actually in Braille which makes it easier for him.

He said his job could even be easier if he was to have all the tools that he needs at the                 workplace.

“Challenges are always there, that is a fact. For instance, reading material is not enough, the Braille I have needs more additions and these days there is technology and for the job to be easier and smooth we need to have such gadgets like computers that are installed with special software that may even enable the computer to have a voice instruction, software such as Jaws and NVDA, there is need for such but these things are very expensive and I can not afford them,” said Mr Gwenanguruwe.

He said through the Zimbabwe Visually Impaired Teachers Trade Union (ZVITTU), they have been engaging the Government on challenges they face and they are hopeful that their plight will be heard.

Despite his condition, Mr Gwenanguruwe is proud that he has produced learners who have passed their English Ordinary Level examination and some are already doing well in various fields that they have chosen. Almost all professions in Zimbabwe list a pass in O-level English as a must.

“Some of my learners have really done well, of course some have not, something which does not make any teacher proud but I have quite a number that did well. 

“I usually meet some of my former learners in town who will tell me that they are my former learners and they are holding certain positions in their occupations and that has really been my proud moment,” said Mr Gwenanguruwe.

Article Source: The Chronicle