Resource Management in Malawi and Zimbabwe

The advantages which the use of equipment provided by Blindaid Africa offers to blind students have proved to be invaluable. It is clear that they should continue to be available.

There are three areas of concern which must be addressed to ensure that this remains possible:

1.Ownership. In the past, audio equipment and typewriters were offered by Blindaid Africa to each student as a personal gift. This is very desirable, but impractical for large numbers. With increasing numbers of schools asking for help, and school leavers taking their prized possessions with them, it has become impossible to meet demands in this way. Material is now sent to remain the property of the school. Students who are proceeding to course of further study in another institution will be provided for at these institutions, or can apply to Blindaid Africa for special consideration.

2.Corruption. Some of those placed in charge of blind students have been known to confiscate tape recorders and sell them for their own profit. It has also become apparent that there are always dishonest people who are prepared to make false claims. We are aware, for instance, of two blind students, who work together with an educated sighted person and try to order enough equipment to supply a whole school where we have been reliably informed that there are, in fact, no blind students. Once received the material would disappear. It is not always possible to prevent this from happening but Blindaid Africa now has sufficient friends amongst former students That fraudulent claims can be detected before any major loss occurs.

3.Long term availability. The simple push button operated radio cassette recorders which are sent to Africa and are ideal for the use of blind students at every level are rapidly becoming obsolete in England as they are replaced by more sophisticated electronically operated compact disk, DVD or MP3 machines. This modern equipment is not yet available for general use by the blind for educational purposes in Africa. We are continuing with our current technology for now, but may have to change if the need continues and the availability of appropriate equipment at reasonable prices is exhausted.

The problem of ownership of equipment sent by Blindaid Africa has largely been resolved. To avoid corruption and ensure that what is sent will remain available as long as possible, Blindaid Africa is now working in partnership with local authorities in Malawi and Zimbabwe.

In Malawi the National Library Service, in co-operation with the Ministry of Science, Education and Technology, and the Blindaid resource manager will be responsible for all educational equipment for the blind. Until now, this has been done by the National Library only for books for sighted students. A project scheme has been set up using the Blantyre regional library and a nearby secondary school. We have some problems with this arrangement as progress in the National Library appears inordinately slow and communication is extremely limited, but we hope these difficulties will soon be resolved.

The Resource Centre of the University of Zimbabwe has likewise assumed responsibility for advising Blindaid Africa of suitable recipients, keeping records and stocktaking regularly. There is a team of volunteers there who read prescribed texts onto tape and make extra copies using recorders and copying machines sent to them from England.

There is an extensive library of recorded books At Blindaid Africa headquarters in Radstock. Required English works, and books of the Bible are sent on request, as well as many African authors, history, biology and English literature audio books and plays, some of which have been recorded here in England by volunteer readers. A very good range of general fiction is also in the Blindaid catalogue. It is hoped that before too long these master tapes can be sent to reliable authorities in Africa for copying and distribution.