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The Southern Africa
Institute of Fundraising
008-166-NPO
"Professionally
Mobilising Resources"
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National
Council P O Box 2913 Tel: 071 674 6392 (from
08:30 - 13:00) |
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Archives - 2000
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Eastern
Cape Hazel Marshall-Smith, our esteemed National Council Member has been a SAIF Member since 1995 and has an established seat on the local committee. Her efforts as a community volunteer not only challenges the concept but perhaps questions… what a volunteer is and the expectations of this untapped valuable resource. What makes Hazel “special” is that after her education at The Pioneer School for the Blind in Worcester, with six Matric distinctions, she qualified in England as a physiotherapist on one of the first SA Department of Labour bursaries for blind women overseas – claiming the British prize for the top physio in her final year. She has been in private practice since 1966. This Rotary Paul Harris Fellowship awardee has been the Union of Jewish Women’s “Woman of the Year” in Port Elizabeth and is presently a nominated Council Ward Representative. From very early on, she has worked as a volunteer in the following positions as well as editing, publishing books and publications as well as for broadcasting. (We have condensed her work here and hope not to lose any impact for sake of brevity). Hazel was an active executive of the EP Branch of Private Practitioners from 1976-9 and the Society of Physiotherapists 1960-92. She travelled extensively representing South Africa at the World Blind Union. She was also an executive of SA Blind Workers Organisation and President from 1992. Hazel was also the joint organiser for five National Conferences for the Blind, which brought empowerment to the blind in all ethnic backgrounds. She has worked for Tape Aids for the Blind, SA Library for Blind Children, Vision Unlimited and was on the national committee for the “Year of the Disabled”. Hazel was also vice-chair for many years for Khanysa School for the Blind in PE and keeps an assertive interest in advocacy in education and disabilities, at government level. Her interests in Braille and Audio Magazines services is also well known. Hazel is a special type of Volunteer and challenges those who say such volunteers may be unreliable and difficult to manage. Imaging what we could achieve in South Africa with more “otherwise abled” gifted “Volunteers” fully participating to their potential and capacity. For those who know Hazel, she has a wicked sense of humour, energy and insight into so many areas of life and also cares lovingly for her ageing mother. She challenges each of us to look more closely at what we see our Vision for the future to be. SAIF
Eastern Cape salutes Hazel as most “valuable” volunteer. We are
happy to have “the blind leading the blind” on our committee. |