Feature Writer John Christie – A Helping Hand to Those in Need
Debbie Gleeson had a dream of helping other people in poor and underdeveloped countries–and it remained a dream until she saw a documentary about a woman from Quebec named Nicole Pageau. Pageau ran a center in Rwanda for orphans and widows. The women started emailing each other and that’s when Gleeson decided to go to Rwanda to assist disadvantaged people and give of herself.
Gleeson, who is very giving of herself, makes two trips to Rwanda every year. On her trips, she brings three suitcases of things to help the people. She brings sewing machines and teaches women how to make school uniforms and also helps street orphans by passing out shoes. She has also taught multiple people how to use a computer.
One of her first projects was to bring the Seika Braille Display to a blind couple who went to college and were married. By bringing this Braille display to Pierre and Vanantie, a friendship soon developed. She quickly learned that it was unusual for blind people to be living on their own, with Pierre employed as a massage therapist. Through this relationship, she learned that blind people are generally illiterate, abandoned, and unskilled. There are also no government programs to provide training for children or adults. Vanantie, who graduated from college in December, went to college as part of an experimental program from the government and the college provided a computer and sighted classmates to help her.
Gleeson says that the blind couple is quickly becoming advocates for the disabled. They try to help people with disabilities as best they can in spite of their limited resources.
The couple has two children and lives in a house given to them by the government. They have also taken in a blind woman named Emily. This woman lived in a hut with palm leaves and tin. With no training, she desperately needed people to bring her food. Now, she has gained confidence and is learning Braille. Pierre has also distributed 150 canes to blind people in various villages by obtaining a cargo van.
Gleeson lamented that she was only permitted to carry three suitcases when she travels. But now, with new government regulations, she will be only able to take two suitcases because luggage limitations.
Debbie’s husband hopes to join her on her next trip. However, with illness in her family, she may only be able to make one trip in 2012. In the near future, the couple hopes to build a house or a school. For more information on her work in Rwanda, you can go to the following resources: http://www.afb.org/afbpress/pub.asp?DocID=aw130207. You can also go to her blog at: http://www.dgrwanda.blogspot.in/.
Hopefully, with help from Gleeson the blind couple that she is helping will be a great example of what other blind people can accomplish. Maybe, through this experience, the government will appropriate money towards services for the blind and disabled.