Our Blind Boere Band, with visually impaired members Gerry Harrisson (piano accordion), Sakkie Reid (base guitar), Harry Smith (electric guitar) and Richard Nwambi (drums), will be performing at two Cape Town Fanfests and two Cape Town Fanjols during the Fifa World Cup Soccer tournament, together with renowned singer Philip de Villiers.  This wonderful opportunity drew the attention of many interested parties, among others ETV News Channel and the SA Press Association.  The ETV television crew arranged for a television shoot on Tuesday, 8 June, to be broadcast that same evening.  The SA Press Association visited the Institute for the Blind on Friday afternoon, 9 June, to observe and interview a group of our visually impaired adults while "watching" the game between Bafana Bafana and Mexico.  This unique interview was published in the Weekend Argus, 11 June 2010.

Gerry Harrisson gives Lester Kiewit (ETV Journalist) a demonstration on the Piano Accordion

Richard Davies (SA Press Associaton) interviewing Matthew Menani during the soccer match

David Geyer, an Institute for the Blind employee, is the only person in South Africa, and one of only 50 deafblind persons internationally, that is able to use the unique form of communication called the Tadoma Method.  David places his thumb on the person's lips and his other fingers on the person's throat enabling him to literally feel and understand what the person is saying.  The Western Cape Minister of Cultural Affairs, Mr Sakkie Jenner, recently honoured David (65) for this achievement and for his outstanding contribution in the disability sector to improving the lives of persons with disabilities.

David Geyer, pictured here with his wife, Marina.