The donation will help Bright Eyes Trust safely transport learners, strengthen community outreach and make braille learning more interactive and accessible.
Durban, South Africa (15 May 2026) – Bright Eyes Trust is celebrating a major boost to its work with visually impaired children, after receiving a brand-new vehicle and an innovative braille learning device from the South African Muslim Charitable Trust, a donation that is already set to change how the centre moves, teaches and reaches communities.
The organisation, which supports visually impaired children from impoverished backgrounds, officially received a 2026 Toyota Rumion during a recent handover ceremony attended by trustees from both organisations. Alongside it came “Annie”, a smart, interactive braille device designed to make learning more engaging, playful and personalised.
For Bright Eyes Trust representative Carron Strahan, the day was both emotional and exciting and, as she described it, “a double whammy” of support.
“We made an application last year to the South African Muslim Charitable Trust for a vehicle. We’ve got a number of projects that take us onto the road from transporting our children to doing community-based work and food collections for our feeding scheme.”
Carron said the organisation had long relied on staff using private vehicles and external transport providers, which often created challenges around timing, safety and consistency. The new vehicle has changed that completely.
“Not only is it amazing to have a branded vehicle on the road representing our work, but more importantly, it means safe and reliable transport for our children. We’re currently transporting 12 visually impaired learners, and almost all of our children rely on our transport service in some way.”
She added that the impact extends beyond the centre itself. Many parents are unemployed or surviving on social grants, making transport costs a real barrier.
“Sometimes parents would only afford a one-way trip, and then have to wait for hours. So this really lifts a huge burden.”
The donation also included Annie, a next-generation braille learning device developed by Thinkable Labs, which Carron described as both “incredible” and surprisingly fun to use. The device allows educators to tailor lessons to each child’s level, making learning more interactive and less rigid.
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The combined donation, valued at around R377 000, is expected to strengthen both the centre’s transport and education programmes, while also expanding outreach work such as eye screening and food distribution in surrounding communities.
“At the end of the day, we just want our children to have every opportunity to learn, grow and be part of the world around them. And this gives them exactly that, in a way that feels exciting, engaging and full of possibility.”
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