Cape Town - Although blind, Winston Fani is not giving up on a dream he hopes to materialise through the help of good Samaritans, so that he may become South Africa’s first blind tour guide.
From Mfuleni, Fani, 35, has been blind since age 12 due to having developed the degenerative eye disease, glaucoma.
He lost his job at a call centre during the pandemic and has since struggled to overcome many adversities.
Since hearing of his plight, Cape Town Tourism chairperson, Enver Duminy, has offered to pay Fani’s tuition to further his studies.
But Fani would still need support for various (other) items besides tuition fees.
Fani’s fund-raising campaign through Backabuddy has gained traction with about R6 500 raised towards his R20 000 target.
“I want to be the first blind tour guide in South Africa. I want to make history.
I want to show it’s not impossible to do what you want to do, despite the obstacles. I want to meet new people and learn from people from different countries who come to visit our country.”
Like so many South Africans, Fani, who worked as a call centre agent at a logistics company in Cape Town, was retrenched during the Covid-19 pandemic and has struggled to find a job for the past three years.
He and his wife Busi live in Mfuleni with their faithful guide dog, Gladys, and have been assisted in the fund-raising campaign by their friend Tania Robbertze, 54, who puppy-raised their guide dog.
Robbertze said fondly of Fani: “(He) has searched long and hard but all doors closed to him for work. He is a personable, chatty, gentle man who has a dream to become the first blind tour guide in South Africa.
“This career will suit Winston. He has a passion for history and education. He cannot move into this career without completing his tour guide certificate. But since Winston is unemployed, the cost is prohibitive for him.”
Fani needs funding to complete the first aid course and write his exams with a scribe. He will also need a new cellphone after a robber stole his. To help Fani, visit https://bit.ly/3VFVR4b
Cape Times