Working at Kaleidoscope’s museum in the Blindiana Barista Coffee Shop, where he has become a major attraction.

Blindiana Blend, a Kaleidoscope & Beans for Africa initiative, is coffee that is blended, tasted, packed and distributed by the blind.

Kaleidoscope, (previously known as the Institute for the Blind), is a non-profit organisation that has been catering for the all-inclusive needs of the blind since 1881. Visually impaired persons of all ages are empowered through the provision of education, training, care, employment, development and accommodation towards a fulfilled life and complete citizenship.

Joseph trained at the centre, which continues to offer training to visually impaired baristas on an annual basis.

Espressos, macchiatos, Americanos, and lattes – Joseph has mastered them all.

“Visitors cannot believe that their coffee was made by a blind person,” he says. “It was not an easy process though. In the very beginning I had a few incidents where I burned myself. It was a nightmare learning to froth the milk. But today I can successfully prepare a cup of coffee and I get the smell of success.”

Matheatau was not born blind, but lost his sight in his left eye at the age of three. Through the years his sight in his right eye also deteriorated to such an extent that he was unable to attend school.

“It is difficult if people and your family do not believe in you. My family believed I was too lazy to see and to go to school. The teachers at school made jokes about my eye condition.”

Joseph finally lost his vision in his late twenties and was then faced with a long period of suffering and enormous challenges. He joined Kaleidoscope training centre in Worcester in January 2014 to study Marketing and Entrepreneurship and then trained as a barista.

“It might sound strange, but in my heart I always knew I was going to be someone special one day,” he says. “When I used to tell my friends I was going to have my own shop and write out cheques someday, they laughed at me.”

Matheatau’s dream is to open his own coffee shop in Bloemfontein within the next 5 years. “I cannot wait to make that first cup of coffee for my mother and sister,” he adds.

At this stage he had successfully completed his mobility training, he is progressing well in Braille, used the services of the counsellor to make peace with all his losses, mastered the computer and

Joseph will be doing a Blind Taste promotion with Kaleidoscope to promote their coffee and sell their merchandise at the Red Café in Steenberg at the Steenberg Village Shopping Centre on the 15^th June.

He says that the Blindiana custom roast blend was created from Central and South American coffees blended with African beans and has a great aroma and lingering finish. “The qualities add a wonderful depth and the African coffee gives it that bittersweet, earthy taste that makes it exceptional,” he explains. “This blend of Arabica coffee beans is roasted to a medium-dark finish, which creates a medium-body coffee with splendid aroma.”

Hein Wagner, Kaleidoscope’s brand ambassador, motivational speaker and global adventurer, says that Joseph is a shining example who is living proof that with determination and the appropriate training, support and guidance, anything is possible.

Blindiana custom roast blend can be ordered on line at www.kaleidoscopesa.org

I Love Coffee, South Africa’s first Deaf-run coffee shop will officially open its doors in Cape Town in June. In partnership with Tribe Coffee, the entirely Deaf-run coffee shop launches with the aim of breaking communication barriers between the hearing and the Deaf. The shop offers an experience unlike any other, where customers are encouraged to engage verbally as well as visually with the Deaf staff, patrons are given the opportunity to be taught rudimentary sign language to place their orders and engage with the staff. The idea is the brainchild of social entrepreneur, Gary Hopkins who explains: “It’s more than just coffee shop space, it’s about a mind-shift and correcting the perception that Deaf people are disabled, Deafness isn’t a disease and should be recognized as a culture, much like American, Italian, South African etc.” Of the estimated 2-million disabled people in South Africa, 500,000 are classified as ‘Deaf’ and almost 1.5-million South Africans are considered to be ‘hearing-impaired’ which means that 4.5% of South Africa’s total population is Deaf.

While South Africa recognises 11 official verbal and written languages, it has yet to recognise South African Sign Language (SASL) – the visual language that is common across all South African Deaf people. This in turn has deeper social implications as it limits opportunities for tertiary education and results in high unemployment amongst the Deaf. Employment is one of the biggest challenges the Deaf face in South Africa – this is evident in light of the fact that currently 70% of persons who are hearing impaired are unemployed.  Hopkins adds: “Most people know very little about Deaf culture and even fewer understand it, we are hoping that by bringing an ordinary everyday experience like ordering a cup of coffee or a toasted sandwich with the use of sign language or by service expectation being met, we can bring a better understanding about the capability of the Deaf. “The i love coffee brand aims to be a cool, fun and engaging and is not out to garner a sympathy vote,” he says.

“We specifically chose a fun name and incorporated Deaf language into the brand by replacing the heart symbol with the SASL sign for ‘I Love You’.” “We have had incredible support from Western Cape Premier, Helen Zille, who most don’t know has a Deaf sister as well as The National Institute for the Deaf who has assisted us with the recruitment of staff and are receiving barista training from Tribe Coffee,” he says. “DeafSA, the non-profit organisation who acts as the national research, information and community action organization on behalf of more than 600,000 South Africans who are culturally and linguistically Deaf have assisted tremendously in bringing this project to life.” On choosing the venue, Hopkins points out that the decision to launch in a gym in Claremont was a conscious one with a long-term view to expand the national footprint of the brand as well as having to launch on a very tight budget.

“This entire project has been self-funded with the assistance of some really great partners and as we get closer to opening we have other activities that will assist us in getting the brand off the ground,” Hopkins adds. “We are running a crowd-funding campaign and fundraising event so we are able to purchase more equipment.”

“Our world’s currently feel so separate,” says, Deaf born, Jessica Botha who is in her third year at UCT studying a Bachelor of Science, Sociology and Environmental & Geographical Science. “We define Deafness as a way of life and not a disability. We aren’t blocked in living but only the language barrier between hearing and non-hearing people.” Botha adds: “If hearing people learn to sign, they gain the skill of communicating in a different way, increased interaction between the Deaf and hearing community will make our world more inclusive.”

“It is our goal to create more opportunities for job placement of visually impaired persons in the open labour market,” he adds. Hopkins, says that the coffee shop and I love coffee brand will help change how the world engages with the Deaf – view the video here I Love Coffee will be officially open for business on the 6th of June and based at X-Body Fitness, The Mews, Draper Street, Claremont.

As an Afrikaans girl raised in a bilingual household, I have a soft spot for my ouma’s cooking. The smell of cookies rolling from the oven. Potbrood and tamatie bredie. Warm milk and honey. It seems that we’ve had it good as far as taste goes, our tastebuds have been spoiled with flavours that enrich our lives.

Of course our country’s colourful multi-cultural mix means that we have an abundance of traditional foods, not only those found in the Afrikaner home the likes of which I grew up in. Regardless of our roots, it is time we shared the rich foods of our cultures with the world.

A Few Special Foods You’ve Got to Try

Foodies and those with wanderlust gleaming in their eyes will delight in the tastes and flavours of South Africa. Boerewors and pap are a classic, and South Africa is well known for its delicious meats and biltong.

The wines and whiskeys of our country are also world renowned and in some cases award winning, worth the effort of looking up and tasting.

It is Africa, so we’re into some strange things. How about the classic chilli chicken livers with bread? Or bunny chows with proper Durban curry? And the stranger things like chicken feet, more commonly referred to as runaways, or mopane worms dried in the sun.

Out of all the recipes and flavours South Africa has to offer, my favourite is Malva Pudding, a dessert full of sweetness and rich flavours that is uniquely ours.

Making Malva Pudding

Make sure you have the right appliances and equipment for the job. (A fan heated oven, an egg beater and microwave, etc.). An oven with unstable appliance or inaccurate heating settings can ruin the recipe.

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius, then butter a baking dish.

In a measuring beaker, mix the milk and bicarbonate of soda together. Mix the rest of the dry ingredients listed below in a mixing bowl. Melt the butter and apricot jam together in the microwave for thirty seconds and add to the dry mix. Add the eggs and milk, then beat to a smooth consistency.

Wrap foil over the dish and bake for 30-45 minutes (until brown on top and cooked through).

Add all the sauce ingredients to a pot and bring to boil, stirring all the while. Boil for 2-5 minutes and remove from heat. Once the pudding is browned, add the sauce to the dish and bake for another ten to fifteen minutes without the foil.

Et voila! The taste of South Africa clean from my ouma’s kitchen for your delight!

PUDDING Ingredients:
30ml apricot jam
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
½ cup sugar
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
½ cup of milk
2 eggs

SAUCE
½ cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 cup milk
Drop of vanilla essence
Spot of brandy