AN organisation that was conceptualised to support, educate and care for visually impaired children and their caregivers has now grown vastly and has added numerous other programmes to its portfolio.

To keep these projects on the ground and running smoothly, the Bright Eyes Trust is looking for volunteers and donations.

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Some of these projects run from Rinaldo Road in Durban North, but the centre is based in Musgrave.

The driving force behind the trust is two women – Cathryn Aylett and Carron Strachan – who facilitate and coordinate the daily running of the organisation.

One of these projects is Munchies Kitchen, which is run from Aylett’s home in Glen Hills, where all the preparation is done to serve a community kitchen in Inanda.

“We peel, cut, dice and chop all the veggies, which go into a hearty soup for the community every Friday.

“We have one volunteer in Inanda who cooks on a fire. This feeds 98 children,” said Aylett.

“It was during the floods that we discovered this community was in need. There’s a visually impaired boy who lives in this community, and through him, we have been able to make connections with others and grow and strengthen these relationships,” she said.

This has enabled Bright Eyes to not only assist this community but to also provide education and normalise living with a disability.

It was while the soup kitchen was being established that Aylett and Strachan noticed that on certain days, there would be more women helping than on others.

“When we asked why this was so, we learnt that these young ladies were missing school because they had no sanitary pads. After spending more time with the girls, we learned of their need for basic hygiene essentials and then started the Wakanda Girls Club where we distribute 30 toiletry packs every month,” said Strachan.

It works on a barter/trade system. The young women collect plastic bottle tops which serve as ‘payment’ for their sanitary packs. The bottle tops are then upcycled and used as resources at Bright Eyes centre.

“All this community needed was a little help. We have seen the most incredible transformation. They’re uplifting themselves. Hope is starting to manifest. There’s beautification and restoration in the community. It is really beautiful,” said Strachan.

She added that they needed volunteers and donations with both these projects in order to keep them running.

“We do receive donations of vegetables from fresh produce owners, but we usually get a huge consignment of one thing at a time. So we have to get them ready for freezing until we have other veggies to make a wholesome meal. We need donations of different variants of fresh produce and hands to help us prepare it. We are also looking for donations of clothes and the like,” she said.

That’s where the Matriarch Programme comes in which Aylett and Strachan would like to revive.

This project was created to provide support to women involved in the care of children with disabilities. Through creating a supportive network of women, we hope to provide an opportunity for women to experience a sense of community and positive support.

The project also provides clothes, food and therapy as and when it is needed.

Strachan said this network made a made a massive difference in the lives of those in need – no matter how little the donation was, it went a long way in enriching the lives of those in need.

“We would really like to get back to that. We understand that people are busy and can’t always be available, so we’re wanting to create a WhatsApp group so volunteers can say when they are able to assist. They can choose when to step in and when not to,” said Aylett.

“The visually impaired children of KZN are in crisis, and there is very little conversation about how to meet their needs. We are calling for the Durban North community to come forward and support us in our efforts to make a difference,” she said.

How can you help?
• Pledge 10kg flour, maize, rice, sugar, samp or beans each month.
• Collect toiletries and clothing on our behalf at your school or office.
• Donate fruit and vegetables weekly.
• Spend time on a Tuesday cooking soups for our freezer.
• Make us your charity of choice and fund a vision-screening drive at one of the schools on our waiting list. These drives cost R5 000 per school, and we can screen up to 300 learners in a day.
• Join the Matriarch Project and become a community leader working for change. Share your skills with us or your time. Work remotely or on-site. We have a little job for every woman. It takes very little time and effort to make a big difference.

For more information, call 078 059 3870 or visit www.brighteyes.co.za.

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