First Blind Culinary School opens in Durban, empowering visually impaired students
The school is designed to impart cooking skills and vital life skills to visually-impaired students.
Carinna Moodley is one of the four students who have started the culinary course
Image: Supplied
THE first-of-its-kind Blind Culinary School opened on Friday at the KwaZulu-Natal Blind and Deaf Society in central Durban, where the first batch of students prepared scones and sandwiches for those who attended the launch.
The school, which was sponsored by the Dr Vasan Govind Foundation, is the first culinary school for the blind in the country.
Veetha Sewkuran, the president of the society, said the launch was a historic and inspiring milestone for inclusive education and empowerment of people who are blind.
Veetha Sewkuran and Dr Vasan Govind
Image: Supplied
“This is not just the launch of a project, but also the birth of a dream, the ignition of hope, and the promise of a more inclusive future. The school is the first step in a journey we have long envisioned; one where persons with visual disabilities can live independent, self-sufficient and dignified lives,” Sewkuran said.
The school is designed to impart cooking skills and vital life skills to visually-impaired students.
“From building confidence to promoting self-reliance, the programme will enable students to start home industries, earn incomes, and become active contributors to their families and communities.
“The training kitchen features carefully selected appliances that closely resemble those used in students' homes. We want our students to learn with tools they are already comfortable using, making their skills instantly applicable in real life."
The first group of four students have commenced with their training and are guided by a team of volunteer chefs.
Sewkuran said the students are trailblazers, who will learn and pave the way for others.
“The school is a triumph of community collaboration. In the absence of government support, the project was made possible by the generosity and vision of the Dr Vasan Govind Foundation, which fully funded the facility.
“Govind has not just funded a building. He has sparked a movement. The school is more than a kitchen. It is a launchpad for skills, dreams, and a better life. It is a statement that inclusion is not a favour; it is a right,” Sewkuran added.