The Sunday News
Mbongeni Msimanga, Sunday Leisure Correspondent
LACK of sight is not lack of vision, so goes the old adage and it rings true for Pritchard Mpofu, a visually impaired teacher who is the Head of Department in History and Religious Studies at Bulawayo’s Mandwandwe High School in Nkulumane suburb.
Born with German measles, a condition that caused his total blindness during his childhood, Mpofu said it was better for one to have the vision and not the sight and not vice versa. He said being visually impaired does not mean one was not normal.
Although he teaches with the aid of an assistant who does all that is required that he can not do such as writing and illustrating on the chalk board and sometimes marking pupils’ books, he is the one fully in charge of the class where none of his pupils have a visual impairement.
His books are in braille and his assistant knows better how to translate some of the braille letters into the conventional writing so that the pupils appreciate what they will be taught. He is a genius in his own right as evidenced by his excellent results that have always won him awards.
“I strongly believe that there are no disabled people and I do not consider myself disabled. I view myself as normal and able as anyone. I guess it is all to do with the belief and this has to be imparted to other people who have similar conditions,” he said.
For him, the class has always been his place of comfort and it has always been his core mandate to produce excellent students in the subject that he teaches — History. His ability to see beyond being visually impaired as well as his unparalleled dedication to his work has spurred him to continue striving to produce quality results and for that he has won various accolades.
“I believe teachers at the school have made me feel proud of who I am. If you view me as handicapped then the world itself is handicapped as well. I have always produced quality pupils in my area of study and I continue aiming higher. I believe the sky should not even be the limit. It is now a routine that I always get prizes for the best results at this school and even at previous schools. And the secret has just been that I never told myself that I am visually impaired. My mind has never recorded that, so
I remain dedicated to my work as that is the only thing that will help me prove that I don’t have incapabilities,” said Mpofu.
He said his parents took time to accept his condition, but with time they accepted it and never treated him differently.
“My parents and relatives had a difficult time accepting my disability. They were confused and they did not know how to handle someone with such a handicap. But with time they accepted my condition and they educated me and look where I am now,” he said.
With visually impaired people stereotyped by some in society as social misfits, Mpofu said he was one of the first people who were experimented with to see how they adapt when they learn with “able bodied people”. Fortunately, the experiment yielded results that saw him adapt, learn and even come out tops in class although he hinted that his books were in brail.
“It was never difficult for me to mix and mingle with what has been termed normal people. Besides I was not so much exposed to a society that had visually impaired people. I therefore did not go to a special school for people with visual impairment. We were one of the first groups that were experimented with so that they could see whether we can fit in and adapt with able bodied people. I was the only one in class who was blind and I never saw a problem with that. I used to perform better than most of the people who had their sight,” he said.
Mpofu is married and his wife is very supportive in all aspects of life.
“I am married and my wife has always supported me. We have four children together and we are a happy family,” said Mpofu.
He is a holder of a Diploma in History and Religious Studies and a Bachelor of Arts Honours degree in History from the University of Zimbabwe.
