Sibongile Mlonyeni
Sibongile Mlonyeni is a robust 43-year-old woman living with a visual impairment disability.
For 31 years, she sees with only her left eye. She came to us to talk a little more about her journey.
It all started when she was a, 12-years-old: the impairment disability hit her and she became blind in the one eye, as a kid, her parents and family's unconditionally support was her strength and confidence.
She suffered from two different stigmas: she reached a stage where she had a low self-esteem, she was even ashamed to tell her friends about her disability and the perception of others around her became unbearable, at school it was worse, as kids tend to bully one another, she became the laughing stock of all.
At the age of 20, maturity came, she knew that she had nothing to lose and she started to accept her condition. While being an excellent student with distinctions at school, she got a job. She knew that time that it was the right moment to speak up in order to help other people with visual impairment.
The journey from a state of victim to an hero one starts with self acceptance according to Sibongile and parents and families have a big role to play in it. Parents with children who have visual impairment disability should continually tell their children how beautiful, worthy they are.
You accept yourself first, you increase your self esteem and then you speak about your issue.
Sibongile advised all of us to be truthful when filling a form for a job, you don't need to hide your disabilities, they might be your strength at the end of the day.
For more information contact:
Web: sybongile.mlonyeni@gmail.com
CELL: 076 761 7699
By: Panphil Tshisumpa
For 31 years, she sees with only her left eye. She came to us to talk a little more about her journey.
It all started when she was a, 12-years-old: the impairment disability hit her and she became blind in the one eye, as a kid, her parents and family's unconditionally support was her strength and confidence.
She suffered from two different stigmas: she reached a stage where she had a low self-esteem, she was even ashamed to tell her friends about her disability and the perception of others around her became unbearable, at school it was worse, as kids tend to bully one another, she became the laughing stock of all.
At the age of 20, maturity came, she knew that she had nothing to lose and she started to accept her condition. While being an excellent student with distinctions at school, she got a job. She knew that time that it was the right moment to speak up in order to help other people with visual impairment.
The journey from a state of victim to an hero one starts with self acceptance according to Sibongile and parents and families have a big role to play in it. Parents with children who have visual impairment disability should continually tell their children how beautiful, worthy they are.
You accept yourself first, you increase your self esteem and then you speak about your issue.
Sibongile advised all of us to be truthful when filling a form for a job, you don't need to hide your disabilities, they might be your strength at the end of the day.
For more information contact:
Web: sybongile.mlonyeni@gmail.com
CELL: 076 761 7699
By: Panphil Tshisumpa
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