Burke-Caesar: It’s not the end. Get up and move on

The Golden Years Activity Centre located at Black Point was on Monday transformed into a venue of fellowship, with melodious signing and prayers,{{more}} as over fifty visually impaired persons from across St Vincent met for the first time, in a meet and greet atmosphere.

Organized by Vernette Burke-Caesar, the event had as its objective to bring together blind persons to share testimonies about their disability, as well as to have fun as a team.

Burke-Caesar, who has been blind for the past four years, told SEARCHLIGHT that she lost her vision over a period of time and since then she had been faced with many new challenges in her life.

She explained it is for this reason that she took it upon herself to organize an event which took two years of planning, where visually impaired persons could come together and share life experiences.

“After I became blind, I realized that there are many struggles. For instance, we (blind persons) have been pushed aside in a sense, and I realize that there are other persons who are blind, and I just wanted to encourage others to come out and realize that we are special.

“We are not dead, and it is not the end of us. We can still move on in life,” the joyful lady said.

From as far as Mesopotamia, Richland Park, Park Hill, South Rivers, Georgetown and surrounding areas, Monday’s event was attended by over fifty persons.

Caesar said she was overwhelmed with joy by the response.

“I am very happy. I almost cried when I realized how many persons turned out.”

She encouraged other visually impaired persons not to give up on life because “it is not the end of the road for them.”

“I encourage them to first know God and pick up from there and move on….

“Being blind is like the first half of any session. It’s like when you are playing netball or football there is a half time break. Well, this can be classed as just another halftime.

“There is still another half to go,” she added.

Meanwhile, Polly Oliver, Coordinator for the Gender Affairs Division (Ministry of National Mobilization and Social Development)etc commended Caesar for undertaking the initiative and told SEARCHLIGHT that Monday’s event was something worthwhile.

“It’s an opportunity for all the persons who are blind to come together to share how they feel in their blindness.

“I am pleased that the organizers of this meeting would have tried to get something of this nature together so that persons could come together and hear from each other about how they feel about their blindness,” Olliver stated.

With smiles on their faces, a few of the participants expressed to SEARCHLIGHT their satisfaction with the day’s proceedings.(AA)