Dear Refuge Family,
I wanted to send an update because many of you have supported our nonprofit You Cane Give at previous cane restoration events! Our trip to Athlone School for the Blind in Cape Town, South Africa from March 1 – 9, 2023, was an amazing and productive experience! We thoroughly enjoyed getting to know many children (ages 3-18), equipping them with canes, and spending a few minutes with each one. The huge, open room was filled with tapping as the children tested out their new independence with wide smiles! For many of the children, this was their first time using a cane, and some asked, “Do I need to give it back?”
During our time there, we spent time training 80 students and 21 adults, sharing independence and forging new relationships. 240 canes were given to the school while another 15 went to a new South African nonprofit named Infinite Abilities. This new organization had 12 blind students with one cane for all to share. Now, they have 15 canes – one for each student, with some extras for when some of them outgrow their canes! Our partner MegaVoice brought the solar-powered audio Bibles with extra children’s Bible stories, and mobility training guides. The little ones gleefully accepted them, so excited to listen. One afternoon, we taught a group of adults how to restore canes with the “first aid kit” we’d brought with us. Now, they can fix the canes themselves and continue the work of You Cane Give. Jimmy enjoyed meeting with a group of nine students chosen by the school counselor to be “student mentors.” Moving forward, she will pour into them weekly, and he will meet with them remotely, both to support them as they become available to classmates who may feel more comfortable reaching out to a peer.
We want to thank the MANY people who helped to donate canes and materials, the ones who offered their hands to help us restore the canes, to individuals who sent financial support for materials and audio Bibles, and to our families, who sent us and took care of things here in the States! You Cane Give is all of you, and it made a difference in a wonderful school filled with beautiful faces located 8,313 miles away!
Thank you,
You Cane Give ©
