Africa Public Service Day (APSD) Conference in Nairobi, Kenya.
At the end of Day 2 at the Africa Public Service Day (APSD) Conference in Nairobi, Kenya, Bongani Sibambo, one of the delegates from the Department of Culture, Sport and Recreation who is blind, pulled at the heartstrings of the delegates and exhibitors alike.
“Today is the happiest day of my life. I am happy to have met someone like me. It was my biggest dream to come to Kenya and meet a blind person at the conference,” said Sibambo at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre after meeting a blind resident of Nairobi, Vincent Omondi (24).
He continued, “I am grateful to get a chance to interact with Vincent, who is visually impaired like me and to teach him more about the Mini-Library for the Blind.”
Sibambo was in Nairobi as part of the Department of Culture, Sport and Recreation delegation showcasing the beauty of the Mini-Library for the Blind and the visually impaired, at the three-day conference, which was held from June 21 to 23. The theme for the conference was, “The intersection of Youth Empowerment and Migration: Entrenching a Culture of Good Governance, ICT and Innovation for Inclusive Service Delivery.”
It was as if the theme was put together for the Mini-Library for the Blind. This is a service that is at the centre of innovation, involves young people and it benefits the whole community.
MEC Lindiwe Ntshalintshali congratulated the delegation for flying the Mpumalanga flag high at the conference and she has also encouraged locals to make use of the service of the Mini-Library for the Blind, which has been rolled out to other libraries in the province, since it was launched at Kamaqhekeza Public Library.
At the Kenyatta International Convention Centre, the department had a stall where officials, including Sibambo demonstrated how the Mini-Library for the Blind has changed the lives of people in Mpumalanga. One of the visitors to the stall was Vincent’s sister. She was impressed by it and promised to bring her brother to experience the Mini-Library for the Blind for himself.
“I am glad to be in this place and to interact with the gadgets and technology that I have not been in a position to interact with in the past. It has offered me an opportunity to interact with a hard copy book. I am impressed with the technology. I also look forward to interacting with Bongani,” Omondi said after being taken through the Mini-Library for the Blind.
The Mini-Library for the Blind provides assistive devices like computer hardware and software specifically designed for the blind and visually impaired users. Additional devices include document readers and audio playback equipment, audio and braille books and accessible book lending services to members on request.