Twinning

Anna Letlape’s classmates mocked her all the time. 'You are blind... you are ugly,' they would snigger, their words bruising the 16-year-old’s frail sense of worth. But her self-esteem was restored during a weekend in the wild, 'twinned' with a non-disabled teenager, Pertunia Maboko.

The pair did everything together. Sang songs, climbed hills, heard baboon and bird calls, picked up insects, a toad and grasses. It was therapy for the angry Letlape, who had to rely on Maboko’s eyes. 'I learnt to trust people who can see,' she said.

Though helpful and caring, Maboko did not arrive at the camp without her own prejudices. 'I thought blind people cannot do anything for themselves, but they can. They make their own beds, they bath on their own and they don’t wear their clothes the wrong way around,' she said.

These words are the fuel that powers our twinning concept, the joining up of disabled and non-disabled children for adventure nature camps.

*********************************
If you would like to sponsor a disabled child
on a wildlife adventure, please click here.
*********************************

While the children are focusing on nature, they get to know each other as human beings – almost by default. Barriers are broken and real changes take place in the attitudes of all concerned.

Disabled participants appreciate being treated as equals, and being provided with opportunities to demonstrate that they can do something ‘better’ than their non-disabled counterparts.

Gregory Letshoo not only astonished his mates with his ability to play soccer – he follows the sounds of the ball by wrapping it in a plastic bag – he even went abseiling. Fright became triumph as he glided down the vertical rock 13m above the ground. 'Now I can do anything,' the 18 year-old declared afterwards.

A prevalent view expressed amongst non-disabled children is that they thought that they were coming to ‘help these poor people with disabilities’. Instead, they leave being changed and challenged by their own prejudices.

Disabled participants include blind, deaf, mobility impaired people, mentally disabled people, diabetic children and in September 2003, Eco-Access held the very first camp in Africa for children who have been severely burned.

Grateful thanks to the Telkom Foundation for sponsoring so many of our twinning camps.