Faith&Friends
BEYOND BORDERS
Mopping Up Why a workshop in the Bahamas is “the happiest part of The Salvation Army.” by Kathy Nguyen
Man at Work Blind since the age of 15, Desmond has been working at The Salvation Army Adult Blind Centre and Workshop in Nassau, Bahamas, for more than 25 years “ I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them.”–Isaiah 42:16
T
he Salvation Army has been a driving force in supporting blind and visually impaired individuals in Nassau, Bahamas, for decades. As in many societies around the world, there are little to no employment opportunities for people with visual impairments. The Salvation Army Adult Blind Centre and Workshop was created to address this gap and, in doing so,
developed a program that teaches students vocational skills and helps them become employable. At this workshop, students learn how to make brooms and cushions; how to use yarn-cutting machines; how to bundle and pack mops; and how to label them. Here, their visual impairments are not seen as limitations or roadblocks. Here, they are given something that they sparingly receive—opportunity. Branded Hope “There was a need to create opportunities for people who are blind and visually impaired,” says
faithandfriends.ca I FEBRUARY 2020
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